Round 3 VLCD 34/PI/Ph3

Our dear daughter is the only one on the VLCD this week. Hubby is off on a business trip and enjoying phase 3 and I am loving my Planned Interruption.

Today I discovered a new food love: Coconut Manna

http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Coconut-Manna-15-Ounce/dp/B004T80BYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328052397&sr=8-1

or

http://www.vitacost.com/productResults.aspx?x=15&y=23&ntk=products&ss=1&Ntt=coconut%20manna

I ordered it a couple weeks ago and got to sample it for my dessert this evening. I warmed it in front of our heat duct, mixed until creamy, and took a spoonful. The mouth feel of this coconut manna is similar to peanut butter... but since coconut and coconut oil are SOOOOO good for us... this is a treat you can indulge in completely guilt free! It would taste fabulous spread on celery, apples, or other fruit, but really.... off the spoon it is the BEST! I'll be enjoying a couple tablespoons a day while on my planned interruption and will have to indulge again once I get into phase 3 & 4. YUMMY! :-) SHHHHH... I don't think I'm going to let ANYONE from my family sample this... it is to decadent to share. Well... maybe I'll let hubby.... maybe.... maybe..... :-)

Not much for today's stats but here ya go:
Me: Planned Interruption and stable.
Teen Daughter VLCD 34 - .8 Total Round 3 loss: -18.6, Total NEW loss: -2 Total hcg loss: 36.6
Hubby & Teen Son - Phase 3

Primal Energy Bar -- Phase 3

The original recipe for these bars are from Marks Daily Apple blog. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-energy-bar-redux/. I modified it to make it phase 3 compliant. When you are in phase 4 it would be great to add in the dried fruit recommended on the original recipe. I made these bars today for my husband to take to Chicago next week so he will have a snack that he can take to his classes that is filled with fat and protein! My teen son who is in phase 3 had one and said they were DELICIOUS!!

Primal Energy Bars
1/2 cups sliced almonds (I only had whole so I coarsely chopped them in the food processor)
1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond meal
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp honey (can leave out if you are having trouble.. but honestly 1/2 tsp will not make or break your phase 3 day, it is less sugar than an apple has!)
1/2 cup protein powder (I used Vanilla)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
Additional coconut for topping.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1. In a pan melt the coconut oil. Add the almond butter and allow it to melt. Add the vanilla, honey, and salt.
2. In a bowl combine the nuts, almond meal, and protein powder.
3. Mix the egg into the nut mixture.
4. Poor the oil mixture over the nut mixture and mix well.
5. Grease a 7" X 5" or 8" X 5" loaf pan with coconut oil or butter. Spread the mixture into the greased pan.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on additional coconut, press it down. Turn on the broiler and return pan to the oven until the coconut and top is toasted brown.
7. Allow to cool. Cut into 5-6 bars. Wrap in plastic or place in small snack baggies. Refrigerate until you need them. These can also be frozen until you need them.

Cream Custard - Phase 3 Recipe

This recipe is high in lactose sugars so watch your serving size. When you have a recipe that calls for egg whites only like my Grain Free Granola, you can make this recipe with those left over yolks!

Cream Custard

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 cup xylitol, truvia, or stevia
20 drops vanilla cream stevia
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Combine the cream, milk, eggs and whisk well.
2. Add the sweetener, nutmeg and flavoring. Taste and adjust as needed.
3. Poor into a 7" or 8" glass or stoneware pie plate. Or if you have ramekins you may use those. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Fill the cookie sheet with HOT water.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top is set and a knife comes out clean.
5. Remove and cool completely.
6. Serve with a dollop of Vanilla Cream Stevia Sweetened Whipping cream.

Round 3 VLCD 33/31

I am NOT happy today... for some reason I woke to a 1.6 GAIN! GRRRR! That is the LAST straw. I'm transitioning into a Planned Interruption through at least Feb 7th. I'll resume the VLCD sometime between the 8th and 10th to do another 21-30 days or so VLCD to reach my goal. Teen Daughter is thrilled b/c she will get ahead of me. I'm thrilled b/c I am so tired of making 3-4 different meals for each meal time for the littles who can have starch/grains, my autistic son who is GF/CF, my phase 3 son and those of us on the VLCD. UGHHH!!! I have enough VLCD food in the freezer/house for teen daughter to fend for herself next week... then I can just make 1 meal for the rest of us.

So... I'm ignoring today's weight... not even going to acknowledge it in print... yep... DENIAL!

Today's weights:
Shirley.... what weight?? I'll be considering myself stuck on day 33 and will resume with day 34 VLCD once the interruption is over. I'll post about how to do a Planned Interruption that will allow you to maintain or even lose a little sometime over these next few days.
Teen Daughter: -.2 Total R3 loss: -18.4 New Loss - 1 Total hcg loss: 36.4
Teen Son... only .2 above the +2 of his LDW window... so he is tiptoeing through the day food wise hoping to come down or he'll be doing a CD tomorrow.
Hubby is .8 above his LDW, but not really worried... he is HUNGRY. So we continue to adjust his intake accordingly per protocol.

Have a GREAT Saturday everyone!

Grain Free Granola -- Phase 3 Recipe

Please only make this recipe if you are able to control your portions and if you do well with nuts. It is so good that you will want to eat it ALL... so you must be cautious if you are a binge eater.

You will have 3 nutrient dense egg yolks left after making this recipe. Look for my Phase 3 Custard recipe to use up the egg yolks! :-)

Grain Free Granola
3 cups almonds
2 cups pecans
2 cups walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
3 egg whites
sprinkle of cream of tarter
1/4 cup xylitol and stevia to taste*
1 TBSP Vanilla Flavoring
1-2 tsp Cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
1. Place 1 1/2 cups of each of the nuts into the food processor and chop coarsely. With some of the nuts coarsely chopped it ends up giving the appearance of oats when the granola is done baking. :-)
2. Put chopped nuts into a large bowl. Add the remainder of the nuts, seeds, and coconut and stir.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a sprinkle of cream of tarter until soft peaks form.
4. In a pan melt the coconut oil. Add the almond butter and stir until melted and combined.
5. Add vanilla, and sweetener to the nut butter coconut oil mixture.
6. Poor the oil mixture over the granola and mix well.
7. Fold egg whites into the nut mixture.
8. Spread the mixture out on 2 cookie sheets.
9. Bake for about 2 hours stirring every 15 minutes. Bake until granola is dry and browned. Allow to cool completely before storing in an air tight container.


*If you do not care for xylitol you may use Truvia, you may want to increase the amount of sweetener to suit your personal tastes.

Phase 4 variation: Use 1/2 cup honey in place of the egg whites and xylitol.

Round 3 VLCD 33/30

Yesterday was a huge psychological struggle for me... I think b/c hubby is at goal and wrapping up phase 2, my head was trying to fight for the right to do the same. I had so much what I "thought" was hunger. Today I woke to another loss on the scale and a different mind set. Being just 12 pounds away from goal.. I'm pushing forward... at least for today! :-) I can easily change my mind at any point and choose to trantition into a Planned Interruption... but for now I'm sticking with the VLCD. If I continue to lose at the rate I am I may reach my goal by February 14th. That would be HUGE!! Why? Last February I weighed 235.... if I reach goal by then I'll be 135.... ONE HUNDRED POUNDS lighter! That thought made me really excited today and for some reason.. I'm not hungry... see I told ya that head or psychological hunger can be a killer!! :-)

Teen Daughter and I weighed in at EXACTLY the same weight this morning. :-)

Here are today's stats:
Shirley VLCD 33: -.8, Total R3 loss: 25, Total NEW loss: -7.8, Total hcg loss: -74.2
Teen Daughter VLCD 30: -.4 Total R3 loss: -18.2 Total NEW loss: -.8, Total hcg loss: 36.2

Now I'm off to make Phase 3 compliant Grain Free Granola and some power protein bars for hubby to take on his trip next week.... I'll post recipes later! :-)

Peppermint Patty Tea -- Phase 2

I have to give hubby credit for this FABULOUS tea "recipe". He made this for me a few nights ago and now I cannot end my evening without enjoying slowly sipping on a hot cup of this tea. As a matter of fact... I HAVE to find more decaf peppermint tea by next week or I'll have to go to bed LONGING for it! :-(

Ingredients:
1 peppermint tea bag (preferably decaf)
Sweetleaf Chocolate Stevia
Sweetleaf Vanilla Cream Stevia

1. Steep tea in water that is heated to the point of just before boiling. Steep for between 3-5 minutes.
2. Add 4-6 drops of chocolate stevia and 2-3 drops of Vanilla cream. Stir and add more of either until you reach the place where it tastes like you are eating a peppermint patty... MMMMMMMM! It is a trip to chocolate mint heaven! :-)

Enjoy!

Round 3 VLCD 32/29

First I must appologize to those who have asked questions in the comments sections under various posts. For some reason "blogger" is not allowing me to respond to these questions. So I'm going to try to do so here really quickly, at least the ones I remember:

1. The one who asked about stevia in the sparkling water. Our family loves the sweetleaf stevia.. so we may use more than you like. In 2 cups we use about 12-16 drops, usually it is more than one flavor. Rootbeer & Vanilla cream (equal amounts of each), Vanilla Cream and Valencia Orange (equal amounts of each), Chocolate and Vanilla Cream (equal amounts of each), Rootbeer, Vanilla cream (cream soda), etc. Start low and work your way up. Just gently stir your soda after adding 4-6 drops then add more to taste.

2. Someone posted that they saw some foods that cause concern on my phase 3 list of foods. Cheese, nuts, and dairy can cause issues for some people. That is why I recommend that folks start with no more than 1 ounce of cheese a day. Same with the nuts, 1 oz a day for starters to see how your body responds. Milk.... I never recommend Milk during phase 3 unless it has been kefired at home to reduce/remove the sugar content (store bought kefir has added sugar so is a NO NO). I do recommend lots of heavy whipping cream or raw cream if you are lucky enough to have a source in your area.

3. Mustard. I use prepared mustard and have found many brands that do not list sugar in the ingredient list. Just read the bottles and you will find many options. I usually opt for he cheap no name store brands if they are sugar free.

Ok..... now that the legistics are done.... on for todays MAJOR highlights!!

Hubby.... REACHED GOAL! Today he weighed in at 184.8, his goal was 185. He is also noticing a LOT of hunger. I think both he and the hcg agree that his normal fat is GONE. He still wishes to tone up, which he will do starting in phase 3 or 4. I'm so proud of him and am so thankful that he has supported me through our hcg journey. Since he is experiencing hunger.... lots he will do what the protocol says to do when all abnormal fat has been consumed and increase his calories to 800-1000 during his VLCD no hcg transition days. He will do this by eating more of the allowed hcg foods like an extra serving of protein and an extra fruit for breakfast each day. He is very excited to dive into our home made smoked bacon and breakfast sausage Sunday morning which will be his first Phase 3 day. :-)

I reached a new decade on the scale. The 140's. I have not been in the 140's since I was in 8th grade. I was so excited to see the number 148.4 on my scale this morning. My BMI is and has been for a few pounds now... in the NORMAL range... I have NEVER been in the normal range, well at least not since 9th grade. It feels good to be "normal" for the first time ever!! :-)

Teen Daughter is now into NEW loss territory. She has lost all the weight she gained over the holidays and her load weight so now onward and forward to goal weight! She is still ahead of me by .4 on the scale.... it is a race to 135! :-)

Today's weights:
Shirley VLCD 32: 148.4 -1.8 Total R3 loss: -24.2 Total NEW loss: -7 Total hcg loss: 73.4
Hubby Last dose weight day 29VLCD: 184.8: - 1.8 Total R2 loss: 28.2 Total NEW loss: 9.8 Total Hcg loss in just 65 VLCD dieting days: 45.2 pounds AMAZING!!! By the way... I love telling people that I have lost 73 pounds in just 125 dieting days... their comment is always... THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE!!! I then explain that I didn't diet 125 days straight but the protocol works in about 40 day increments with lots of time to maintain in between. It usually peaks their interest then they ask for more details. :-) Ok... back to stats:
Teen Daughter VLCD 29: 148 -.6 Total R3 loss: -.4 Total hcg loss: -35.8

Hope you are all having a GREAT day in whichever phase you are in!

Bacon Grease Beans - Phase 3 Recipe

The other day I posted the Garlic Buttered Beans which is one of the two favorite ways I fix beans for my children. They fight over every spoonful when those or these Bacon Grease Beans are placed on the table.

1 quart fresh or frozen green beans
4 slices bacon


1. Lightly steam the beans until just crisp tender. For fresh beans this will take about 10 minutes, for frozen, about 5 minutes.

2. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Set bacon aside and break into pieces.

3. When beans are done drain well.

4. Heat the bacon grease at medium/high, add all the beans at once and fry for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the beans into a bowl with the grease over top. Add bacon pieces and toss lightly. Yummy!

Garlic Buttered Green Beans -- Phase 3 Recipe

Green Beans are one of our favorite cooked phase 3 veggies. This is one of two ways my family begs to have their beans fixed. They will eat 2 full quarts and fight over every spoonful!

1 quart fresh or frozen green beans
1/2 cup butter
4-6 fresh garlic cloves minced
REAL Redmond Salt to taste

1. Very lightly steam the beans until they are just crisp tender which usually only takes about 5-10 minutes. 10 min if they are fresh, 5 if they are frozen.

2. Drain beans and put in a bowl.

3. In a skillet melt the butter over medium/high heat. Add the garlic then immediately poor in the beans and saute the beans for about 1-2 minutes with the garlic. Salt & serve!

Optional addition:
When the butter is melted add 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds and brown for about 1 minute, then add the garlic & beans.

Giant Meatballs in a Sweet & Tangy Sauce: Phase 3 Recipe

Last night I wanted to make a treat for my littles. We butchered a pig last week so I FINALLY have pork sausage again. The creative juices... an pork juices... were flowing and here is what I came up with.

Giant Meatballs in a Sweet & Tangy Sauce

Meatballs
2 pounds ground pork or pork sausage
2 pounds hamburger
1 medium onion finely diced
3 eggs
Salt & Pepper
Lard or coconut oil for searing the meatballs
(note if you are making this for a family who enjoys flavor, add 1 TBSP italian seasoning, and a few cloves of fresh minced garlic)

Sauce
4 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1-2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP Worchestershire sauce (hard to find sugar free) OR Tamari Sauce
1/2 tsp Redmond REAL salt
1/4-1/2 cup finely minced onion
1/4-1/2 cup red bell pepper minced
1/4 tsp powdered stevia, or stevia glycerite to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Finely mince onions. Add in your eggs, pork & hamburger and mix well. I like doing this in the food processor or the mixer.

2. Shape your giant meat balls and I mean GIANT! Mine were about a big fist full, the kids thought they were so fun!

3. Put about 1/2 cup lard or coconut oil into a large skillet on med/high. Gently place meat balls in the hot oil and sear them on all sides.

4. While meatballs are searing mix all the ingredients of the sauce together in a bowl and whisk until mixed. Taste to make sure it is sweet enough and tangy enough, add more mustard or Apple Cider vinegar if you wish. You can use xylitol or truvia if you do not like stevia. In phase 4, you can use honey (about 1/2 cup of honey).

5. Place giant meatballs in a large roasting pan. Pour the lard/coconut oil over the top of the meat balls. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.

6. Put the roasting pan uncovered into the oven for 30 minutes then turn the heat down to 275 degrees and cook for another 3 hours. By heating up the sauce really good then lowering the heat the sauce simmers lightly and all that yummy goodness soaks into the meat balls.

Serving Suggestions:
Phase 3: Serve over Mashed Cauliflower with Buttered Garlic Green Beans (recipes in separate posts)

Phase 4: Serve over mashed Potatoes made with 1/2 stick of butter 1/2 cup sour cream and extra whipping cream if needed to mash to desired consistency and with Buttered Garlic Green Beans.

ENJOY!

Round 3 VLCD 30/27

HOORAY! My SEVEN day stall has FINALLY broke! The scale moved away from 152 ish. I'm so thankful. I had it in my head that I was gonna be stuck there for maybe another week. In Pounds & Inches Dr. Simeons explains that when we hit a previous set point with weight sometimes we can stall for up to 14 days. He also explains that the common cold can cause a stall. I have had both going on. I have not weighed less than 155 for years.... like since Jr. High. I hit 155 in 9th grade. So every ounce below that is very new to my body and I expect these last 15 pounds to take a while to go away. I was very encouraged this morning to see 150.8 on the scale! It is possible that I'll bounce around here at the 150 ish point for a few days then see it go down again. That can be a typical pattern when close to goal weight.

Another highlight for me is that I am no longer overweight. My BMI is now in the "normal" range for my height. THAT is very EXCITING. PLUS, I have reached a grand total of 71 pounds lost since April 25th. I had lost 13 pounds in the 2 months prior to doing hcg so my total pounds lost since Feb 14 is............84 POUNDS! I'm completely shocked and VERY thankful that the Lord allowed me to stumble upon that hcg article by Dr. Mercola in April! I was just looking at my measurements and realized I've lost 10 inches in my waist, 6 inches on each thigh, and lots of inches in other places too.... but those two really stood out to me as GREAT accomplishments. I've gone from a size 20 in pants to a size 8 classic fit and 10 skinny jeans both of which are loose now. I'm started to settle into this new size and realize that I'm here to stay. On days I feel bloated I get so nervous to look in the mirror because I'm afraid I'm going to see my 220 pound self in the mirror. I was talking with myself the other day and realized that.. it isn't going to happen! The positive changes that we have made in our diet are going to allow me to maintain my weight loss with ease. I absolutely LOVE weighing 35 pounds less than my husband... instead of 5-10 pounds less, and there have been times in our 16 year marriage that we weighed the SAME.... SHRIEK!. By the time I reach goal I'll be almost 50 pounds less than him! Ok.... enough excited babbling... hope you've enjoyed seeing my silly thought patterns about accepting the new me. :-)

Today's weights:
Shirley VLCD 30: -1.6 Total R3 loss: -21.8 Total NEW loss: -4.6 Total hcg loss: -71
Teen Daughter VLCD 27: -.4 Total R3 loss: -16.8 Total hcg loss -34.8
Hubby VLCD 27: -2.2 Total R2 loss: -26.4 Total NEW loss: -8 Total hcg loss: -43.4
Hubby is only 1.6 away from his goal weight! He is still averaging .97 loss a DAY! MEN!!! :-)

Have a great day all!

Round 3 VLCD 28/25

It has been a rough week health wise. We had the flu, as you know, then on Friday I started to come down with a head cold. I have discovered first hand that as Dr. Simeons says, a "common cold" can cause a stall. I have not weighed daily but did get on the scale today to find that I'm still in the 152 point whatever range. I hit 152.8 on the 17th and have bounced around between 152 & 152.4 on the various days I have gotten on the scale. I will weigh tomorrow then maybe on Thursday or I'll just wait until Next Monday, depending on how I'm feeling this week. I could stall for another complete week with the help of this cold. :-(

Hubby has been stalled the past couple days too after a large drop. Stress has been a factor this week too. This cold weather makes it tough on the herd and the milk system is not functioning optimally, we have having to do the cleaning manually which takes a lot of time, plus if we are not careful to empty the water out of the system it freezes, which makes the next morning's work much more difficult.

Hubby is on his last days of the VLCD. He wanted to end at 185, and is currently 188.8. He will take his last dose on the day he hits 185 or on Thursday. He has to travel for work next week which would make the VLCD very difficult, so moving on to phase 3 is the best option. He is now at a normal BMI for his 6'2" body, looks great, feels good and is ready to move on into lifetime maintanence.

Teen Daughter had a blast at her teen over nighter. She chose to do a Planned Interruption and eat whatever she wanted within reason. She did avoid sugar, but ate 2 pieces of pizza, chips and a little bit of potatoes fried in lard over her 2 day PI. I told her that if she chose to eat carbs/sugar/starch she may gain. But it was her choice. She ended up losing weight over her PI. AMAZING! So proud of her for being reasonable with her choices. She is back on the hcg/VLCD as of this morning.

So here are our current stats:
Shirley VLCD 28: -.4 Total R3 loss: -20.2, Total NEW loss: -3 Total hcg loss: -69.4
Teen Daughter VLCD 25: -1.4 Total R3 loss: -15 Total hcg loss: -33
Hubby VLCD 25: -0 Total R2 loss: -24.2, Total hcg loss: -41.2

Hope you have a GREAT day... I'll be here hugging my kleenex box and wearing multiple layers because I AM FREEZING!!!

Round 3 VLCD 25/22 -- What do you get when.........

What do you get when.......... you have the flu... a house full or kids recovering from the flu..... stress... 2 arrhythmia episodes (I usually have 1 a month, almost never 2 in one day!)..... a frozen milk system.... stress.... lack of water...... etc.... a GAIN! Yep, yesterday's adventures left us heavy on the scale this morning. Hubby had a much larger gain than I but we both gained none the less. Thankfully all the kids are doing great and off to school today. Hubby and I feel TON better and life goes on!! Now to get caught up on ALL the laundry. Since we were all sick, I'm washing ALL the bedding, not to mention cleaning bathrooms, sanitizing surfaces, etc. If I only had a dryer that worked it would be a bit easier. Instead, every laundry basket will be filled plus I'm sure I'll have several garbage bags worth of wet bedding which will all be waiting for hubby to get home tonight so I can run to the laundromat to dry it all. BUT at least we will have clean bedding AND clean clothes and hopefully get through the rest of the winter without any more flu bugs! :-)

Today's report:
Shirley: +.8 Total R3 loss: -19.8 Total NEW loss: -2.6 Total hcg loss: -69
Hubby: +1.6 Total R2 loss: -21 Total NEW loss: -2.6 Total hcg loss: -38
Teen daughter is on her last day of VLCD/no hcg then she will be on a Planned Interruption for Friday and Saturday.

Hope it is warmer where you live.... it is COLD here in Wisconsin... BRRR!

Round 3 VLCD 24/21

The Reese house has the flu bug... in FULL force. One of the littles came home from school on Monday complaining of a belly ache which led to vomiting and diarrhea by the evening. He stayed home from school yesterday. Last night one of the middles started to throw up much to his dismay b/c he was supposed to go tubing today with his class at school. All last night hubby and I could hear what we THOUGHT was the middle running to the bathroom all night. However, when he went up to wake the children for school he learned that all of them, all 5 who who didn't have it Monday night DID have it last night. So today we have a house full of sick children. I'm letting them rest through the day then will attack the laundry and germs latter this afternoon. Hubby isn't feeling the best either... hope he can hang in there long enough to help me milk the cows this morning. :-(

A friend asked me what the NEW loss stands for on our daily log. NEW loss means completely new pounds lost doing hcg. We had each gained in December with the holidays and loading, so much of what we have lost already was weight lost on our previous hcg round. NEW loss = weight that is completely new territory for us. For me... I stabilized about 5 pounds above my LDW, from round 2, but am still only counting my NEW loss as pounds below the official LDW not where I stabilized. Hope that is clear as mud for you all now! :-)

For me personally every ounce lost is the lowest I've ever been in my adult life! In 9th grade I hit 155 and stayed there through my freshman year of college. So all this NEW weight is completely new territory for my adult body.

Today's weights:
Shirley: -.8 Total R3 loss: -20.6 Total NEW loss: -3.4 Total hcg loss: 69.8
Hubby: -2.6 Total R2 loss: 22.6 Total NEW loss: -4.2 Total hcg loss: 39.6
I realized just now that I think I've been marking hubby as "Total R3 loss:" BUT this is only his second round... sorry about that! So in 2 rounds he is up to almost 40 pounds loss. :-)

Have a great day all... hope your household is healthier than ours! :-)

Round 3 VLCD 23/20

Thank you to each of you who have emailed me privately your little victories! It is so encouraging to hear other peoples success stories!

Yesterday I went to Kohl's and got myself a new winter coat. I have not bought a NEW winter coat for YEARS. I've always wanted a brown one with a "fur" edged hood. Coats were 60% off PLUS hubby had a coupon for another 15% off. YEAH! AND.... It was a Medium... a MEDIUM!!! I bought it b/c I know my shoulders will NEVER fit into a small even if I get to goal weight, my bone structure is large. It was SOOO Fun! I also tried on bathing suits b/c I need to get a new one this year and fit nicely into a size 10! I don't know that a 8 will fit even when I reach goal b/c my rib cage is 35" and there isn't much fat left on it. It was fun trying on clothes in sizes I never dreamed I'd be in! I'm only 2.6 pounds less than where I ended my 2nd round but clothes are fitting very differently. The fat is on the move! I'll probably measure once I hit the 140's and see what my inch loss has been.

Today is VLCD soup day! I made a large pot of celery soup, a pot of green onion soup, and as soon as one of those are cool enough to bag and freeze I'll make taco soup. I also made a large cabbage salad today. Once the taco soup is done I'll be caught up on phase 2 ready meals for a couple weeks, Whew! :-)

Today's weights:
Shirley: -1.4 Total R3 loss 19.8 Total NEW loss -2.6: Total hcg loss: -69
Teen Daughter: -.6 Total R3 loss: -13 Total hcg loss: -31
Hubby: +.8 Total R3 loss: -20 Total NEW loss: -1.6 Total hcg loss: -37

Round 3 VLCD 22/19

Yesterday was a CRAZY day here on the farm. We woke to discover that some relay in our milk system that tells the machine to wash wasn't working... AHHHHHH! 11 cows to milk and no way to do it! Hubby and the two teens had to stay home until we heard from our land lord and the repair people and learned of a way to manually make it clean... for now. The girls had to hold their milk until 11:30, we usually milk between 8 & 9. Hopefully that episode won't cause any of them to get sick with mastitis.

Yesterday we all gained too which was no surprise with the pig butchering from the day before. We tried to wear gloves for most of the process but we did end up coming in contact with pork fat throughout the day. I still didn't lose much today, but.... I don't remember the last time I had a BM. Took some magnesium last night so I expect to see a better number on the scale tomorrow. :-)

Hubby is excited that he is right on track to reach his goal by Jan 27, which will be his last dose day. Teen Daughter and I are having fun with our race to 135.. she lost today and I didn't (well -.2) which made her REALLY happy... since she is having her last dose on Tuesday for her planned interruption this weekend. I sweetly reminded her that I will still be losing while she is interrupting... .which will encourage her to be good at the youth over-nighter and not pig out on foods that will make her gain. :-)

I was so excited yesterday to pull out a fitted wool lined skirt that I bought in October and have never been able to zip up all the way. BUT I loved the skirt and it was only $2 at St. Vincent. I've been trying it on every Sunday morning to see if I could zip it. It is not a stretchy skirt, fitted and lined so no give in it.. it either zips or it doesn't. AND I wore it to church Sunday Morning!!! That means my inches are going down in my waist, hips and butt! Wahoo!!! My mom also had a similar experience this Sunday. She and dad are also on phase 2 of the protocol. She wore the dress she wore at my wedding in May of 1995 to church this morning for the first time in over a decade! So proud of her!! She is a very picky eater and has been doing fabulous on the protocol! :-)

Another mini victory for me is that I'm noticing my thighs shrinking this round. I was standing the other day with my feet barely shoulder length apart and noticed that my thighs were NOT touching.... WAHOO!!! They still need to shrink more, but these little victories mean a LOT to those of us who have been obese for YEARS!

Here are today's stats:
Shirley: -.2 Total R3 loss: -18.4 Total NEW loss: -1.2 Total hcg loss: -67.6
Teen Daughter: -1 Total R3 loss: -12.4 Total hcg loss: -30.4
Hubby: -1.4 Total R2 loss: -20.8 Total NEW loss: -2.4 Total hcg loss: -37.8

Teen son is still staying within the acceptable -/+2 of his LDW in phase 3.

Have a GREAT day!!! If you have a mini victory to share about your phase 2 losses please post it! :-)

The woes of shrinking.... Flabby Skin!

The hcg protocol allows for very fast weight loss. One good thing about the protocol is the length of time between losing rounds. This does allow our skin to shrink up a bit on its own. However, many people who have over 100 pounds to lose often find that their skin does not shrink up as fast as they are reducing in weight.

Skin brushing can be a huge help to your shrinking body. It will help the skin to shrink up much faster and more naturally then surgery. An hcg friend named Dorothea was the first to educate me on skin brushing techniques. She recommends this site as a great place to start your skin brushing education:

http://healingtools.tripod.com/skinbrush.html

Happy Shrinking everyone!

Round 3 VLCD 20/17

Today is butchering day here on the farm! Hubby & I will be wearing gloves so we won't be effected by the fat load. We are SOOOO excited to be able to have our OWN fresh bacon, ham, & sausage that is sugar free along with MSG, nitrate, & sulfate free. I'm going to forgo the sugar in the bacon brine this year, though very little is actually absorbed by the meat.

I'm back to weighing daily again for now... when I reach the point where I'm stalling often I may spread out my weighing times. I'm only .6 above my teen daughter now... the poor thing looses slower than I do. Her waist is still much tinier than mine, b/c her bone structure is smaller. BUT I NEVER thought I'd weigh the same as my 15 yr old daughter after been horribly obese for so many years. So I'm doing the happy dance! :-)

Teen son is settling into phase 3 and is below his LDW. I expected him to gain very quickly and right now is he well below LDW. We'll see what happens. He is enjoying his large quantities of fat and protein AND he is eating apples daily. :-)

Here are today's stats:
Shirley: -1.2 Total R3 loss: 18.6 Total NEW loss: -1.4 Total hcg loss: 67.8
Teen Daughter: -0 Total R3 loss: 11.6 Total hcg loss: 29.6
Hubby (day 17: -.8 Total R3 loss: 19.4 Total NEW loss: -1 Total hcg loss: 36.4

Have a great Saturday!

Coconut Oil - Load, Phase 3 & 4

I am a HUGE coconut oil fan. If you are not familiar with the many benefits of coconut oil visit:

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/ or http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com

Read about how beneficial coconut oil is for your body internally and externally.

I believe that everybody should eat coconut oil DAILY when they are not on phase 2. During phase 2 it CANNOT be consumed or used topically... it is an OIL and Dr. S says not to ingest or touch oils.

However, when you reach phase 3 you need to cook with it and bathe your body in it. Your skin will love you if you start using it as a lotion... even on your FACE. It is fabulous for removing eye make-up and it will cure yeast infections and athletes foot!

I found this blog with a fabulous write up on various products you can make using coconut oil. I'm going to try many of them when I enter into phase 3.

http://www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2009/12/four-new-ways-to-use-coconut-oil.html

I like cooking with Expeller Pressed Coconut oil because it has no coconut flavor and my family has no idea I'm loading them with healthy fats. When I use the oil topically or eat it raw I prefer the virgin coconut oil for optimum health benefits and anti-fungal properties. Usually the Extra Virgin coconut oil has a strong coconut flavor and the expeller pressed has little to no flavor depending on the brand.

Please note, if you have never used coconut oil, start incorporating it into your diet slowly, like 2-3 tsp a day or you may find yourself very ill. Coconut oil will cause your body to detoxify as well as it will clean out candida yeast. Both are benefits but because it is such a powerful food, it can make you very sick while you are detoxing. You will find that you have excellent energy because it will increase your metabolism and you will have better fat burning capacity when you eat it daily!

My favorite brands are from Tropical Traditions, Wilderness Family, and Nutiva. I have also recently heart that the Extra Virgin Vitacost brand is fabulous. I plan to try it when I enter into phase 3. I've also ordered a jar of Coconut Manna to try upon entering phase 3. It sounds like a gloriously smooth coconut cream/oil which is supposed to be great straight out of the jar. I promise to give you my opinion as soon as I'm in phase 3 and eating it! :-)

Round 3 VLCD 19/16

We FINALLY have snow on the ground!! My children are so excited! :-) I'm happy for them and thankful that I have a "MUD" room for the soggy muddy play clothes that will be entering this house. ;-)

Well... I finally gave in. TOM is about done and I'm feeling more human so I decided to weigh this morning. I was not expecting big changes but was excited to see that I'm down below my round 2 LDW by a titch. I stabilized at 160 but my "official" LDW was 155.4. Today I was 155.2. YEAH! New loss territory and goal weight here I come!

I'm in the very middle of Harmony Clearwater Grace's book: The HCG Diet Book of Secrets. Much of the information is not "new" to me thus far, as the author and I have similar view points on real food and fat. However I just finished the portion she wrote on insulin resistance... I need to read it again so that i can fully absorb it all. She discusses underlying health factors that can contribute to the lack of ability to stabilize. If you have a kindle app... get this book! I think it is just $10 from amazon for kindle. You will not be sorry that you did, especially if you are NEW to hcg and want to stabilize well long term. If you have struggled to maintain in previous rounds, there is much to be considered and this book might help you to diagnose what is going on so that you can have future success with stabilization. I'll probably finish it today and do a blog post summarizing my thoughts on her writings.

Today's weights:
Shirley: -3.4 Total R3 loss: 17.4 Total hcg loss: 66.6
Teen Daughter: -.4 (only weighs 1.8 less than mom.. I'm going to catch up soon!) Total R3 loss: 11.6, Total hcg loss: 29.6
Hubby: -1 Total R3 loss: -18.6 Total hcg loss: 35.6

Hubby found out yesterday that he has to travel at the end of this month into the beginning of February. So he has 2 more weeks until his last dose. It is much easier to travel on phase 3 than on phase 2. He will be on day 30 when he has his last dose. If he is comfortable with where he is at that point he will just transition into phase 3. If he still wants to lose more he will do a Planned Interruption that will last about 10-12 days then go back to the VLCD to reach his goal weight. Men tend to lose faster than women and if he continues to lose at his current rate he will be pretty close to his goal. :-)

Have a great day!

Christmas in January!!

The snow is lightly falling, I'm sipping on my English Toffee Stevia flavored coffee and my solitude is interrupted by a car horn beeping! Our friendly country postman has a BIG delivery for guess who...... ME!

Hubby ordered me a lovely Cuisinart 14 cup food processor... it is HUGE!!!! BUT it has 2 smaller bowls too, one that does 3 cups and one for doing 8 cups... I'm in chopping heaven!!! I will use this for processing veggies from our 1/2 acre garden, for churning butter, for kneading fermented whole grain breads... and more!! THANKS HONEY!

PLUS, a new book arrived! Harmony Clearwater Grace's new book entitled: The HCG Diet Book of Secrets: Stabilizing After HCG and Staying Slim Forever. You can buy the book in paper form from $25 - $29 or if you have a kindle app you can get it for less than $10. I'll write a review on the blog here once I am done reading it. :-)

Now... LET IT SNOW... I have a book to read and a new toy to play with! :-)

NEW Favorite Phase 2 Beverage

Many people are addicted to diet sodas. They are VERY bad for you for many reasons but the one that I consider the most prominent reason is that the artificial sweeteners communicate to your body that you are hungry and they make you crave foods. THAT is REALLY bad while on the VLCD.

On one of the yahoo groups I read often someone suggested plain carbonated water with flavored stevia drops. I finally found some seltzer water that had no sodium and no sweetener. It is simply bubbly water. I took it home to chill and have had LOTS of fun experimenting with various flavored stevia's to make my own sugar free, sodium free Soda!

Thus far my favorites have been:

Vanilla Cream Stevia = Cream Soda
Root Beer Stevia = Root Beer
Orange Valencia Stevia = Orange soda
Orange Valencia AND Vanilla Cream Stevias = Orange Creamsicle Soda

So, if you are really in the mood for a soda treat that would be acceptable for phase 2. Start stocking up on stevia (the top shelf of my refrigerator looks like a stevia store add), and enjoy making your own sensational soda with unflavored, unsweetened and unsalted club or seltzer water! Oh, and when you are in phase 3 and cooking in coconut oil and butter daily making a greasy mess of your stove top. Put some of that plain soda on a sponge or cloth and it cleans up grease lickity split!! I keep plain seltzer water in a spray bottle for cleaning my stove top. It works better than ANY commercial cleaner on grease!

If you are not familiar with stevia, my favorite brand is Sweetleaf. You can purchase it online through Amazon, Vitacost and many other places. I always shop around for the cheapest prices. Some large grocery stores carry it and most health food stores do too. You will NOT find it at Walmart. Oh and please read labels on any other brand of stevia, especially the powdered ones. Some companies like "Stevia in the Raw" add SUGAR to the stevia. You cannot use a stevia product that has sugar added in it's raw form or in the form of maltodextrin. Be sure to purchase stevia that is just stevia.

Remember that when you first start to use stevia you must start with very small amounts or you will NOT like it. Most find it "bitter" at first. It took me a LONG time to learn how much I like on various foods. I used to HATE IT!! Now though I have come to really enjoy it. I think one reason is that my body no longer gets white, pure sugar.... so it is satisfied with fruit sugars and stevia. So do consider that it make take time for you to get used to using stevia and being satisfied with the level of sweetness it offers. Start with just a couple drops then increase little by little until it is just sweet enough but not bitter. If you struggle with the "bitterness" then try NOW Stevia Glycerite. I just bought my first bottle, but love my Sweetleaf flavors so much that I haven't tried it yet. :-)

Hope you are enjoying the Sweet Success of Phase 2!

Round 3 VLCD 18/15

I have learned that starting 10-12 days before TOM does NOT work for ME! My first round I started 10 days b/f and this round about 12 days b/f. My PMS, cravings, moods, etc seem to be MUCH worse than the round that I started right AFTER TOM. Dr. Simeons DOES say that right AFTER is best, however, he does also say we can start 10 days prior to menstruation. If I ever have to do another round... I will WAIT and start after. This round I feel like I've lost an entire week of prime weight loss with this TOM. I will not be surprised if I step on the scale Monday and find I have lost very little if not anything at all due to this TOM. Bummer!!! But it is what it is!

Teen son is officially in phase 3 and we are considering doing the Leptin RX for him. If your not familiar with Leptin Resistance and have had struggles stabilizing LS or Insulin resistance may be part of the issue. Here is a link to the Leptin info I've been reading this week. I'm re-visiting it because I DO have elevated T-3 issues, an imbalance in my progesterone/estrogen/testosterone, and higher evening cortisol, not super high, just not low enough. I think often folks expect that we can simply follow Dr. Simeons Weight Loss Cure and all will be well. However, the bodies of 2012 are vastly different from the bodies of the 1950's. Many in our society today have compromised immune systems, and degenerative health issues that simply didn't exist back in the 1950's before our world was inundated with chemicals in our soil, air, and toxic elements added to almost every food we consume. Each generation keeps getting weaker and weaker due to these environmental factors. So, chew on this.... if you want to maintain your weight loss long term you must discover the true state of your personal over-all health, you must educate yourself on what real foods, whole foods you SHOULD be eating, and you must determine to be willing to work at reaching a new level of optimum health, because it WILL BE WORK!

Here is the Leptin Link:

http://jackkruse.com/my-leptin-prescription/

Today's weights:
Teen Daughter: -.2 Total R3 loss: 11.2 Total hcg loss -29.2
Hubby: -.4 Total R3 loss: 17.6 Total hcg loss - 34.6

Oh and IT'S SNOWING!!!

Have a great day!

Round 3 VLCD 17/14

We all continue to feel great. Hunger will hit sometimes around meal times but we are pretty busy here on the farm so I don't find that odd. We do get full/satisfied VERY easily with our phase 2 meals, and our energy level has been fabulous. Hubby has commented more than once that there is no way he'd be able to do all he has over the past week on the homeopathic, he just didn't have the energy or endurance.

I'm missing the scale... pathetic hey??? We get so used to that daily gratification of seeing the weight go down, that it is a completely different mind game when we don't weigh daily. I'm not sure if I'll continue with weekly weigh in's only after this week but am determined to stick it out until Monday morning. I have a dear hcg friend that is weighing weekly and I'm so proud of her for sticking to it because I DO think it free's us from the stresses of the little ups and stalls and allows us to focus on perfect phase 2 days. PLUS in phase 3 and 4 we HAVE to weigh daily... so taking a break is a good thing... can you tell I'm still working on fully convincing myself, Tee Hee!!

Today's Reducing Stats:
Shirley - Not weighing until Monday
Teen Daughter - stayed the same as yesterday
Hubby (day 14)-1.4 Total R3 loss: -17.2 Total hcg loss: 34.2

Have a great day everyone!

Round 3 VLCD 16/13

Yesterday was a crazy busy day here. I made 6 pounds of butter and had to do a great many things here on the farm. I'm enjoying my break from the scale.... sort of! :-) It is AMAZING how we get to the point where we look forward so much to seeing that daily drop on the scale. This is good for me to not see exactly what is going on daily and I know that, but in a way it drives me nutzo! I know my bulges are decreasing when I wear various tops and pants. It feels good... and I'll look forward to seeing what the scale says on Monday Morning! :-)

Yesterday was also kind of a sad day too. My son took his last dose in the morning, day 15 VLCD for him. Why? He simply will not stick with the protocol. In my limited understanding of how this protocol works, he is not resetting the hypothalamus because of his daily cheating. When on the protocol the hypothalamus rests from having to do its job. This allows it to heal so that in the future it can mobilize fat appropriately. My son has cheated every day on any or all of the following: peanut butter, cookies, extra melba, bites of this or that, extra fatty meat, etc. We believe it is absolutely pointless for him to continue the VLCD at this time. So for today and tomorrow he completes his 72 hours VLCD/no hcg. Then he'll transition into phase 3 for 3 weeks. Then phase 4. I do not expect him to stick with the no sugar/no starch rule since he has not followed protocol up to this point. BUT he will have to see that choices have their consequences. I expect he will gain back all that he has lost plus more which will cause his fall football season to be a struggle. He has to learn and he has to decide what kind of health and energy he wants. So he lost a total of 10 pounds this round all of which he gained loading. He is still 5.2 heavier than his lowest weight with hcg. His BMI is 28.3 leaving him in the high overweight category. Obesity starts at 30 BMI. Thanks to each of you who have showed support, concern and have prayed for him.

Here are the weights for today and yesterday:
Shirley - Not weighing until Jan 16
Teen Daughter day 15: -1.6 Total R3 loss: 10.6 Total hcg loss -28.6
day 16: -.4 Total R3 loss: -11 Total hcg loss: -29
Hubby day 12 - .8 Total R3 loss: -14.2 Total hcg loss: -31.2
day 13: -1.6 Total R3 loss: -15.8 Total hcg loss: -32.8

Round 3 VLCD 14/11 -- GAINS

Today three of the four of us had gains!

Hubby was VERY busy with lots of physical work on the farm yesterday. He was not able to get in all his water and though he had the energy to get it all done, he was very tired by the end of the day.

Son, still struggles to remain true to the protocol. Next Sunday will be his last dose of hcg. I have concerns that his hypothalamus has not been rightly stimulated this round since he has fed his body fat and sugar daily, thus it messes with the proper processes that should be taking place. We will have to just wait and see.

Me... TOM is a killer for me. My cravings were very intense on Friday and Saturday. I took some l-glutamine and drank lots of hot tea. I was also craving salt, so had some in my water and added to my food. The added salt and normal bloating probably account for my gain. I will not weigh again until Monday Jan 16 at which time I will start weekly weigh in's rather than daily. I've been 'married to the scale since Easter Weekend 2011, the start of round 1. I'm ready to take a break from the scale, relax and just let my body release this fat!

Today's Stats:
Shirley: +1.4 (TOM) Total R3: -14 Total hcg loss: -63.2
Teen Son: +1.2, Total R3: -9, Total hcg loss: -29.8
Teen Daughter: -.4, Total R3: -9, Total hcg loss: -27
Hubby (day 11) +1.4 (Exercise) Total R3: -13.4 Total hcg loss: -30.4

I hope you have each had a Lovely Lord's day spent with friends and family in the Lord's House!

Round 3 VLCD 13/10

I've had some folks ask if this round is going better than last and my answer is YES! We have really good energy and no overwhelming hunger. We do experience some "normal" hunger around a meal time or if we delay a meal too long. BUT we are pretty active here on the farm so I'm not surprised to have some hunger at those times. We are NOT having LOTS of irritating continuous hunger, like I had last round. Today is crazy here on the farm: doing wood over 1 1/2 cords were cut, chopped, pitched into the basement and it is now being stacked. Then hubby and the kids will be filling feed bins, mucking the hoop barn, and doing other odd jobs while I go to the laundromat to dry and fold 8 loads of laundry. The great thing is that we have the energy to do all of this WHILE on the VLCD. That is a blessing! I always felt really exhausted when I was on the homeopathic hcg. BUT I didn't really care, I was losing blubber so quickly that it was nice to relax while it happened. However, having the energy to keep up with things around here is very helpful!

Here are today's stats:
Shirley: -.2 Total R3 loss: -15.4 Total hcg loss: -64.6
Teen Son: -1.8 (back to where he was on day 8 before a serious of cheats) Total R3 loss -10.2 Total hcg loss: -31
Teen Daughter: -.4 Total R3 loss: -8.6 Total hcg loss 26.6
Hubby, day 10: -1 Total R3 loss -14.4 Total hcg loss -31.4

Something kinda silly that I'm excited about is that my teen daughter and I are only .8 apart. Usually she is like 10 pounds less than me. This time I'm catching up to her. :-) We are only about 1" apart in height but our bone structures are different, I'm large, she is medium framed. It will be fun to see the change in both of us in these last 22-27 pounds!

Have a great day everyone!

Round 3 VLCD 12/9

We are doing great! I often have a sense of "emptiness" that I have to sort through and reason with myself that I am not "hungry" just empty. :-)

This round continues to be a struggle for our teen son. We have decided that he will be concluding his round in time to go to the youth overnighter and will simply transition into phase 3 then 4. He is struggling not only with food but with many areas that are revealing his lack of the fruit of the spirit... Self Control. I'd love to see my son be able to face temptation and RUN like Joseph did, but he has not developed the character that with the dependence on the Holy Spirit, will allow him to do so. So, it will be best for him to move on. :-) I am saddened not just by the spiritual, mental, and physical battle he is fighting, but that because he won't choose right this dear 14 year old boy cannot run and play like other teens his age. He is just going to be one of those kids that has to learn the hard way. I pray hubby & I will have the grace, patience, and strength to help guide him through this time. So as you see his weight go up and down, pray for him and us. Every struggle and victory our children have is a training opportunity for us as parents. Pray for us too! :-)

I have had questions from some about WHY we are doing this with our teens. We have watched our two older children follow our patterns of destructive eating to the point where at the age of 13 & 14 they were obese. Not just overweight, but OBESE. They have both really responded well over-all to the protocol and our desire to teach them that this is NOT about being skinny, it is about being healthy. An unhealthy individual cannot do all that God intends for that individual to do. That is our goal, good health for our family. NOT the worlds view of skinny and sexy. The battle of the bulge is very physical, mental, and in my opinion spiritual. I will address all of these things in more detail in future posts. :-)

Today's weigh ins:
Shirley: -.8 Total R3 loss: -15.2 Total hcg loss: -64.4
Teen Son: -.4 Total R3 loss: -8.4 Total hcg loss: -30.2
Teen Daughter: Decided to weigh today: -1.8 Total R3 loss: -8.2 Total hcg loss: 26.2
Hubby, day 9: (back in Onederland) -1.4 Total R3 loss: 13.4 Total hcg loss: 30.4

Have a Blessed Day!

Apple Crunch Salad -- Phase 2

Do you EVER have a phase 2 day where you REALLY feel like crunching on SOMETHING. The ole' celery stick just isn't cutting it. Well this salad is one of my favorites for those days when I'm in the mood for a crisp fresh crunchy meal. The flavor combination might seem a little weird but it tastes FABULOUS!

Apple Crunch Salad

1 apple cored and diced
6 celery stalks diced
100 g chicken, preferably cooked, cooled, and diced into small pieces.
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP Truvia or xylitol or stevia to taste
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP cold water
1 plain melba toast or plain grassini (no more than 20 calories worth)

1. Get a BIG bowl, this will not fit into a normal small cereal or salad bowl.
2. Place diced apple, celery, and chicken into the bowl and toss gently.
3. In a small bowl/dish mix the cinnamon, truvia, and lemon juice. Pour lemon mixture over the salad and toss gently.
4. Break up your melba/grassini over the salad, toss gently again.
ENJOY!

Variation: Replace the celery by a diced cucumber. It won't be AS crunchy but it is still VERY tasty.

Phase 3 Variation: Use a LOT more chicken, any part of the bird. Make a dressing out of 1/4 cup mayo, 2 TBSP truvia/xylitol, 1/2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar. Toss salad in the mayo dressing and enjoy. You must OMIT the melba/grassini for phase 3. Remember, no starch.

Phase 4 Variation: Do all the phase 3 additions including the dressing and add 1 tablespoon of raisins or dried cranberries. Still omit the melba/grassini if you choose to add the dried fruit.

Round 3 VLCD 11/8

Still feeling really good and noticing how drastically my body has shrunk with these 14.4 pounds down. :-) Son is still struggling with cheating and Daughter... had a slip up too. :-( So, we move onward and forward realizing that each new day we can make the right choices or wallow in our regrets.

Today's Stats:
Shirley: -0, Total R3 loss: 14.4, Total hcg loss: 63.6
Teen Son: -188.2 +1.2 Cheats don't pay! Total R3 loss: 8, Total hcg loss: 28.8
Teen Daughter: did not weigh
Hubby: -.2, Total R3 loss: -12, Total hcg loss -29

I have a horrible skin rash on my arm due to the chemicals we use in the barn. It is itchy and painful, so yesterday I decided to try some Melagel thinking there would only be melaluca oil/tea tree oil, and some petroleum. Put is on 2 times yesterday and once today before I decided to read the tube. Well, my arm is healing and feeling better BUT I cannot use the oil again. It has Shea butter, corn oil, wheat germ, etc.... all edible oils/foods. That is most likely why I didn't lose today. The moral of the story is to READ ingredient lists before you put ANYTHING on your body!!

On a funnier note: Hubbies belt broke about a week ago. Since I had loaded WELL, I didn't need a belt to hold up my pants... the blubber was, so I let him use mine. It made me feel REALLY good that he was not able to use the tighter holes... I had thought my waist/hips were STILL bigger than his, but to my pleasant surprise I am FINALLY smaller than my husband WHOOPIE!. The 14.4 pounds I have shed has shrunk me back into my skinny jeans and the need for a belt. I had bought hubby a belt that was too small. Last night I remembered we hadn't returned it yet so I tried it on and it fit... two notches in! So I'm using his belt that is too small and he is using mine that is to big. LOVE IT!

Have a great day everyone!

Phase 2 Questions: WHY did I GAIN?? or WHY didn't I lose ANY weight today?

No, not me personally, but these are two of the most frequently asked question by folks, particularly women, on the yahoo groups and with the people I coach. Most people begin this protocol with the idea that they will lose weight EVERY SINGLE DAY! That DOES happen for some, but most of us have some days during phase 2 where we lose very little to nothing, AND sometimes we gain! Yes, even during the VLCD you CAN gain.

I am going to break it down to the most common 6 reasons people lose very little, stall, or gain. Read this over every time it happens to you so you can put your mind at ease. There are two others that I will not cover in great detail so will address here. Stress and lack of sleep can cause slow losses, gains, or stalls. Do some research on how important sleep is to weight loss, just google it and you will be shocked to discover that those who lose weight most consistently get the most rest each night. Stress is another factor because of what it does to our bodies at a cellular level. So, when you do gain, stall, or lose very little the very best thing you can do is relax and get a good nights rest! Now, to discuss in detail the other factors that CAN contribute to a gain, stall or very small losses. I say CAN because you will discover in the readings below that many times you will do absolutely NOTHING to "cause" a gain or stall. Sometimes it is just how your body is responding to the rate of fat reduction. I do find it helpful though to understand what could have happened so I can make the appropriate changes.

Water flow: other wise known as Urine Output

Here is a direct quote from the Pounds & Inches Manuscript by Dr. Simeons:

"Fluctuations in weight loss

After the fourth or fifth day of dieting the daily loss of weight begins to decrease to one pound or somewhat less per day, and there is a smaller urinary output. Men often continue to lose regularly at that rate, but women are more irregular in spite of faultless dieting. There may be no drop at all for two or three days and then a sudden loss which reestablishes the normal average. These fluctuations are entirely due to variations in the retention and elimination of water, which are more marked in women than in men.
The weight registered by the scale is determined by two processes not necessarily synchronized. Under the influence of HCG, fat is being extracted from the cells, in which it is stored in the fatty tissue. When these cells are empty and therefore serve no purpose, the body breaks down the cellular structure and absorbs it, but breaking up of useless cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, etc., may lag behind the process of fat-extraction. When this happens the body appears to replace some of the extracted fat with water which is retained for this purpose. As water is heavier than fat the scales may show no loss of weight, although sufficient fat has actually been consumed to make up for the deficit in the 500-Calorie diet. When then such tissue is finally broken down, the water is liberated and there is a sudden flood of urine and a marked loss of weight. This simple interpretation of what is really an extremely complex mechanism is the one we give those patients who want to know why it is that on certain days they do not lose, though they have committed no dietary error."


This means that you will be able to see the amount of weight lost in comparison to how many times you visit the bathroom. This recently happened to me. On day 8 I only lost .2, on day nine only .4. During day 9 I was running to the bathroom all day, so it was no great surprise for me to see a drop of 2.2 pounds today.

Dr. Simeons also warns us that if we do not drink enough water we will not reduce as well. I recommend that people drink 1 gallon minimum every day while on the VLCD. Here is what Dr. S says:

"Water
Patients are usually hard to convince that the amount of water they retain has nothing to do with the amount of water they drink. When the body is forced to retain water, it will do this at all costs. If the fluid intake is insufficient to provide all the water required, the body withholds water from the kidneys and the urine becomes scanty and highly concentrated, imposing a certain strain on the kidneys. If that is insufficient, excessive water will be with-drawn from the intestinal tract, with the result that the feces become hard and dry. On the other hand if a patient drinks more than his body requires, the surplus is promptly and easily eliminated. Trying to prevent the body from retaining water by drinking less is therefore not only futile but even harmful."

Hormone Fluctuations

Many women who are still of menstruating age find that they can have gains, stalls, or very little loses around the time of ovulation and their monthly period. I always tell women to expect to gain stall or lose very little around their TOM and ovulation so they are not surprised when or if it happens. There are also many women that end up conceiving while taking the hCG.

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about it:

"Menstrual Interruption
The fourth type of interruption is the one which often occurs a few days before and during the menstrual period and in some women at the time of ovulation. It must also be mentioned that when a woman becomes pregnant during treatment - and this is by no means uncommon - she at once ceases to lose weight. An unexplained arrest of reduction has on several occasions raised our suspicion before the first period was missed. If in such cases, menstruation is delayed, we stop injecting and do a precipitation test five days later. No pregnancy test should be carried out earlier than five days after the last injection, as otherwise the HCG may give a false positive result."



Touching Fat

Many struggle to believe that simply by touching fat they can throw the delicate balance of fat burning off. You can encounter fat by preparing your own meat servings, serving butter or coconut oil to your other family members, using lotion, or other hair skin and body products that contain nutritional oils.

When preparing food I have chosen to be cautious and wear gloves. You can pick up a box of medical gloves at any pharmacy. Wear them any time you are preparing food that has fat in it. I know it is a pain, but if it keeps you consistently losing fat is it worth it?

When choosing your bath, body, and facial products simply make sure there are no nutritional oils listed in the ingredient panel. We are fortunate because most of the products the average person uses consists of chemicals and mineral oil. Back in Dr. Simeons day they used nutritional oils in their body products and make-up. You will most likely be able to continue the use of all your bath, body, and facial products if they contain no nutritional oils. Remember, if you wouldn't eat it, it is fine to use!

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about how the absorption of fat through our skin effects our weight reduction:

"Cosmetics
When no dietary error is elicited we turn to cosmetics. Most women find it hard to believe that fats, oils, creams and ointments applied to the skin are absorbed and interfere with weight reduction by HCG just as if they had been eaten. This almost incredible sensitivity to even such very minor increases in nutritional intake is a peculiar feature of the HCG method. For instance, we find that persons who habitually handle organic fats, such as workers in beauty parlors, masseurs, butchers, etc. never show what we consider a satisfactory loss of weight unless they can avoid fat coming into contact with their skin."

Exercise and The "Common Cold"

Many of us start to feel so energetic as the blubber flees forever that we think we can take on the world. For some of us, it is the first time in years we actually FEEL like exercising. It is not wise to start a new exercise routine while on the VLCD. You can try some light walking from time to time, but adding an exercise routine will undoubtedly cause gains and stalls. If you are already exercising regularly you can continue your normal work out routine. However, you may find that you do not have the energy or endurance to do as strenuous of a workout as you are used to. Be willing to stop when you feel tired or you will also experience gains and stalls.

The same water retention occurs when we get a cold. You usually do not realize that when you get sick you have inflammation in your body. That inflammation causes you to gain weight. Most of us don't ever realize it because until we started hcg we NEVER weighed ourselves daily. We avoided the scale when we were overweight or obese. So be prepared for gains and stalls even when you get a common cold. Severe infections will cause more trouble to the releasing of weight. Make sure that any medicines or cough drops you use are sugar and starch free.

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about it:

"We encourage swimming and sun bathing during treatment, but it should be remembered that a severe sunburn always produces a temporary rise in weight, evidently due to water retention. The same may be seen when a patient gets a common cold during treatment. Finally, the weight can temporarily increase - paradoxical though this may sound - after an exceptional physical exertion of long duration leading to a feeling of exhaustion. A game of tennis, a vigorous swim, a run, a ride on horseback or a round of golf do not have this effect; but a long trek, a day of skiing, rowing or cycling or dancing into the small hours usually result in a gain of weight on the following day, unless the patient is in perfect training. In patients coming from abroad, where they always use their cars, we often see this effect after a strenuous day of shopping on foot, sightseeing and visits to galleries and museums. Though the extra muscular effort involved does consume some additional Calories, this appears to be offset by the retention of water which the tired circulation cannot at once eliminate."


Salt

I am a big fan of REAL mineral rich salt. If you used the white salt, or white sea salt I would highly recommend that you go to your local health food store and find some Redmond REAL salt. This salt will nourish your body! It is loaded with minerals and it will have no negative effects on your blood pressure. Dr. Simeons does say that sometimes patients will notice a stall or gain due to a change in their salt habits. Our family uses a LOT of REAL salt so it is never a problem for us. But if you are not used to salt in your diet and all of a sudden increase your intake it could throw things out of balance for a day or two.

Here is a quote from Dr. Simeons about salt intake while on the VLCD:

"Salt and Reducing
While we are on the subject of salt, I can take this opportunity to explain that we make no restriction in the use of salt and insist that the patients drink large quantities of water
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throughout the treatment. We are out to reduce abnormal fat and are not in the least interested in such illusory weight losses as can be achieved by depriving the body of salt and by desiccating it. Though we allow the free use of salt, the daily amount taken should be roughly the same, as a sudden increase will of course be followed by a corresponding increase in weight as shown by the scale. An increase in the intake of salt is one of the most common causes for an increase in weight from one day to the next. Such an increase can be ignored, provided it is accounted for. It in no way influences the regular loss of fat."

Constipation

Dr. Simeons warns us that we might not see our bowels move often during the VLCD. That is because we are taking in so little food that our body is using it optimally. If you struggle with constipation consider using magnesium. Magnesium will naturally get the bowels moving, start with about 1000 mg and increase by 400-500mg every few hours until you start to cleanse. If it continues to be a problem you can figure out what your daily dose should be by taking however much is needed to get the bowels moving, then the next day reduce the dose by 1 pill and continue this pattern until you are having regular movements daily.

"Constipation
An excess of water keeps the feces soft, and that is very important in the obese, who commonly suffer from constipation and a spastic colon. While a patient is under treatment we never permit the use of any kind of laxative taken by mouth. We explain that owing to the restricted diet it is perfectly satisfactory and normal to have an evacuation of the bowel only once every three to four days and that, provided plenty of fluids are taken, this never leads to any disturbance. Only in those patients who begin to fret after four days do we allow the use of a suppository. Patients who observe this rule find that after treatment they have a perfectly normal bowel action and this delights many of them almost as much as their loss of weight."

One more topic must be covered but I think it merits its own post........CHEATING. I will write a separate post on cheating, how and why it effects our losses and some tips on how to avoid the temptation.

Round 3 VLCD 10/7

I'm very excited about how this round is going! Round 2 I stabilized at between 158.8 & 160.8 and today's weight put me BELOW that lower number! WAHOO! I have lost as much this round on this day as I did my first round of hcg. I'm feeling good, very little to no hunger. Any hunger that dose occur is at meal time or because I've waited to long to eat. BUT it is not a gnawing horrible hunger, just a reminder that it is time to have a meal. My bowel distress has ended. I'm thinking that it was really bad the first 7 days due to a detox/cleanse that my body was going through. It has been MUCH better the past 2 days.

Teen Son is still struggling with cheating. For those of you who think I cannot possibly understand the mental struggle that occurs for craving of food and for those that struggle with impulsive eating.... I DO! I see it and live it with my son! I hope and pray he will get his head in the game so that the hcg can do what it is supposed to and he can enter overweight land instead of living in obesity land.

Here are our weigh in results for Day 10:
Shirley: -2.2, Total R3 loss: -14.4, Total hCG loss: -63.6
Teen Son: -1.8, Total R3 loss -9.2, Total hCG loss: -30
Teen Daughter: Did not weigh today

Weigh in day 7
Hubby: -1.6, Total R3 loss -11.8, Total hCG loss: -28.8

I also spoke with my parents who are in their 60's and they have both lost around 5 pounds in 5 days so far. My hopes in sharing the results of our entire family is that you can see that the hCG protocol works for all people, of all ages, and all sizes. It WORKS!

Have a GREAT day!

Round 3 VLCD 8/5

Feeling good! BUT I want to change a couple things about how my days are going. First, I want to go to bed earlier. I usually lose more when I get about 8 hours of sleep, so that needs to become a priority. Second, I want to STOP eating no later than 7. I think my body rests better if there is nothing left in my belly for it to digest. Third, I want to keep my fruits to morning and afternoon. I want to see if my body does better without having anything "sweet" later in the evening. Why am I wanting to change these things. I'm within 25-30 pounds of my ultimate goal weight and want to get there as quickly as my body will allow. Making these changes may give my body better fat burning capacity. It might NOT make a difference, but what do I have to lose by trying? Maybe a little more blubber! :-)

Here are today's weigh in results:

Shirley: -.4 Total R3 loss: 12.2 Total hcg loss: -61.4
Teen Son: +2.8 Total R3 loss: 7.4 Total hcg loss: -28.2 -- His cheating caught up to him once again! OUCH!
Teen Daughter - chose not to weigh today, she is taking a break from the scale for a few days with my 100% support. She loses slower and I think it is easier for her to not weigh as often.
Hubby: -2.4 Total R3 loss: 10.2 Total hcg loss: 27.2

You know you are a farmer when.....................

You know you are a farmer when..........................

There is a heifer calf taking a nap in your living room in front of the heater! :-)

We had a beautiful heifer calf born this morning, one of the coldest so far this winter in Wisconsin. She was very lethargic and freezing when we found her and her mom was off eating... never looked back even when we were carrying her through the field, even when we put the calf in FRONT of her in the milk parlor.

So, this little one will remain in here for another hour or so, then out to the garage or milk house to re-adjust to the cold for a day before we put her with the other calves. HOPEFULLY she will survive.

Her name is Natalie... her mom is Nelly. We try to name the calves with the first initial of the mom's name so we can keep track of family lines easier.. plus it is FUN! :-)

Geering up for Phase 3 Part 2

These are some of the most frequently asked questions folks ask me about Phase 3.

"How do I know how much to eat daily while in phase 3?"

There is no set answer for that question. Everyone's needs are different. Our family does not count calories. We focus on healthy nourishing fats, proteins, veggies, dairy, and limited fruits. We eat until satisfied, not stuffed. I do find that if I do not eat enough foods, especially from the fat and protein categories, I gain.

Some people prefer to count calories. If you want to count calories find 2-3 online calculators that will figure what your calories needs are based on your current height, weight, and activity level. Average out these three results then shoot for about 200 calories LESS than what is recommended. Or if the recommendation is 1800-2000, shoot for 1800 and see if that is a good place for your body. You also need to consider that you will most likely need 60-65% of those calories to come from FAT, 30-35% to come from PROTEIN, and 5-10% to come from CARBOHYDRATES. These carbs will come from your vegetables, berries, and dairy while in phase 3.


What does a daily menu look like for phase 3?

Breakfast: 2-3 eggs fried or scrambled in a couple tablespoons of butter. 2-3 pieces of bacon. Whipping Cream in your coffee.

Snack: ONLY if you are hungry: ½ cup of yogurt and a couple tablespoons of fresh or frozen berries.

Lunch: Large serving of protein cooked in fat. Vegetables, if steamed add 1-2 TBSP of butter, if fresh slather with olive oil dressings.

Snack: ONLY if hungry: protein: like hard boiled egg, leftover chicken or beef, or 1 oz of cheese, etc.

Dinner: Same as lunch.

Snack: ONLY if you are hungry. ½ cup berries fresh or frozen with ¼ cup whipping cream and sweetener.

Here is a starter list of foods to consider. It is not inclusive of EVERY food that is good for phase 3 but hopefully it will help you to think through which foods might work well in phase 3. Each person can be slightly different so make sure to listen to your body. If you experience stomach distress, or don't feel right after eating a particular food you MIGHT be sensitive to that food. So leave it out for a while then add it back in again and see if you react.

Fat: butter, coconut oil, and lard for cooking. Olive oil and no sugar mayonnaise for your salad dressings. Once again, make your own dressings because most store bought dressings have sugar/high fructose corn(hfc) syrup in them. Avocado is a fabulous source of fat! 

Protein: eggs, bacon, sausage (no sugar), all forms of beef, chicken with the skin on, fatty fish or lean fish swimming in butter, all forms of pork.Do not buy precooked, seasoned meats or lunch meats unless you are very careful about reading labels. Many of these meats like: beef jerky, lunch meats, ham, rotisserie chicken, etc are injected with sugar and starch, not to mention they usually have a LOT of salt which can cause water retention. 

Vegetables: greens, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, basically any vegetable that is not high in sugar or starch. Avoid carrots, peas, potatoes, and winter squash until Phase 4.

Dairy: whipping cream (in coffee or whipped up over fresh/frozen berries), butter, full fat sour cream, full fat yogurt, full fat Greek yogurt, or full fat cheese. Do not drink milk during this phase, milk has too much natural sugar in the form of lactose. You must make sure that any dairy you do use does not have ANY ADDED sugar. All dairy has some naturally occurring carbs/sugar. So read the ingredient list, if no sugar/hfc is added then you can TRY it!

Fruit: start with berries while continuing with all your phase 2 fruits, then add in other lower glycemic fruits. Avoid melons, grapes, banana's, tropical fruits, and other high sugar fruits until Phase 4.There are many lists online of the glycemic index of fruits, choose the ones that are lower in sugars. If you choose those in the medium range just have smaller portions and see how you do with them. 

Nuts: use cautiously and in moderation. Like no more than 1 oz a day.  Make sure to measure, not just crack open a bag and EAT. Many find that nuts can be almost as hard to control as potato chips were pre-hcg. So be cautious. I prefer to choose nuts like macadamia, pecan, walnuts, and almonds. Some nuts work better than others for different people, so you'll have to try a little of those you prefer and see how they work for you. I do not recommend peanuts nor peanut butter early on in phase 3 b/c of their higher starch content. So if you add it in, do so in small amounts and very cautiously to see how your body will respond.

What are the good foods that I might have to use with caution?

This list is not inclusive of all the phase 3 questionable foods but it will be a start for you. These foods should be used with caution and in small amounts until you learn what your body can handle and maintain well.

Nuts: start with no more than 1 ounce a day
Fruit -- berries are usually fine but other fruits can be problematic.
Cheese -- start with no more than 1 ounce a day, then gradually increase.
Milk -- usually the high sugar content causes gains so it is best to use very little or avoid all together until phase 4.


Why can't I lose weight in Phase 3?

Dr. Simeons says that if we lose weight in phase 3 it is normal fat, NOT abnormal fat. You must not drop below -2 of your LDW. If you do, add in a piece of fruit. If you add in fruit and continue to drop then see where you will land. Some do settle into a weight that is within -5 of their LDW, just like some settle into a weight that it +5 of their LDW. BUT don't drop too much or you will be losing NORMAL fat that your organs and muscles need to be healthy. It is important especially in phase 3 to maintain your weight within that 4 pound window to finalize the resetting of the hypothalamus.

When do I correct with a steak day or other correction day?

On the day of your last dose you will take your hcg in the morning only and weigh. That weight is called your Last Dose Weight (LDW) or Last Injection Weight (LIW). This weight is REALLY important during phase 3, phase 4, and for lifetime maintenance.

If your LDW is 155. You are in the "zone" if your weight is between 153 & 157. If you wake up and weigh and you are 157.2 you do a correction day. If you wake up and your weight is 152.8 you add a piece of fruit. Do not stress if your weight bounces around in that 4 pound window. Dr. Simeons tells us this will happen, it is completely normal and is why we eat no sugar or starch for 3 weeks. A high fat, protein, veggie, diet allows the weight to stabilize easier. Throw in sugar and starch and you will be a mess!

The only correction days mentioned by Dr. S are what we call the Steak Day, or the High Protein day. Here is a copy of what Dr. Simeons says about them in Pounds & Inches:

Skipping a Meal
As long as their weight stays within two pounds of the weight reached on the day of the last injection, patients should take no notice of any increase but the moment the scale goes beyond two pounds, even if this is only a few ounces, they must on that same day entirely skip breakfast and lunch but take plenty to drink. In the evening they must eat a huge steak with only an apple or a raw tomato. Of course this rule applies only to the morning weight. Ex-obese patients should never check their weight during the day, as there may be wide fluctuations and these are merely alarming and confusing.
It is of utmost importance that the meal is skipped on the same day as the scale registers an increase of more than two pounds and that missing the meals is not postponed until the following day. If a meal is skipped on the day in which a gain is registered in the morning this brings about an immediate drop of often over a pound. But if the skipping of the meal - and skipping means literally skipping not just having a light meal - is postponed the phenomenon clues not occur and several days of strict dieting may be necessary to correct the situation.

Most patients hardly ever need to skip a meal. If they have eaten a heavy lunch they feel no desire to eat their dinner, and in this case no increase takes place. If they keep their weight at the point reached at the end of the treatment, even a heavy dinner does not bring about an increase of two pounds on the next morning and does not therefore call for any special measures. Most patients are surprised bow small their appetite has become and yet how much they can eat without gaining weight. They no longer suffer from an abnormal appetite and feel satisfied with much less food than before. In fact, they are usually disappointed that they cannot manage their first normal meal, which they have been planning for weeks.

Protein deficiency
Here too, the explanation is quite simple. During treatment the patient has been only just above the verge of protein deficiency and has had the advantage of protein being fed back
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into his system from the breakdown of fatty tissue. Once the treatment is over there is no more HCG in the body and this process no longer takes place. Unless an adequate amount of protein is eaten as soon as the treatment is over, protein deficiency is bound to develop, and this inevitably causes the marked retention of water known as hunger-edema.
The treatment is very simple. The patient is told to eat two eggs for breakfast and a huge steak for lunch and dinner followed by a large helping of cheese and to phone through the weight the next morning. When these instructions are followed a stunned voice is heard to report that two lbs. have vanished overnight, that the ankles are normal but that sleep was disturbed, owing to an extraordinary need to pass large quantities of water. The patient having learned this lesson usually has no further trouble.

Me talking here, if you end up needing to do a CD RIGHT after starting Phase 3. I would highly recommend that you do the protein deficiency correction day as described above with the eggs, meat and cheese.

There are also many correction days that users of hcg through the year have developed. I purchased a Corrections Day e-book from:

http://www.thehcgshop.com/shop?page=shop.product_details&category_id=36&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=88

This corrections day book is very detailed and is well worth the purchase. If you don't want to invest in the book you can get a list of alternate CD's with very brief descriptions from this yahoo group:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HcgDieters

Go to their files section and you will find a list of Alternate Correction Days there.

My favorite CD's are: Greek Yogurt, Over Easy, Protein Shake, Egg, and Chicken. My least favorite is the Steak, though it works fine usually.

Do I start introducing these foods slowly or just charge into the phase 3 diet?

You have been consuming very few foods and calories, virtually no fat for months now. Yes, you have been burning fat, but no digesting fat. Most people when they start to eat the high fat diet that phase 3 requires end up with digestive distress. It is wise to have on hand a good digestive enzyme designed to help with the digestion of fats, it should have lipase in it. You will want to take these for the first few days or as needed while your body adjusts to the phase 3 diet.

Coconut oil is the easiest oil for the gallbladder to process. I recommend starting with small amounts of this oil added to your eggs at breakfast as well as your lunch and dinner meats. As time goes on increase the amount of oil and butter you are using daily. If you do not increase fast enough you will gain. That is why the digestive enzyme is really nice because it allows your body to process the fats you need to maintain well.

So, are you ready to start phase 3 now? Please add any questions you may have that I have not answered to the comments. I'll do my best to answer them and my even add them to this post for future viewers.

Round 3 Weekly stats

Our first 7 full days of VLCD are past. I am no longer experiencing any hunger and am starting to feel "full" when I eat my meager meals. Love it! I know my body has drastically shrunk because my size 10 skinny jeans and size 3 classic fit jeans now fit perfect again. Those 12 pounds of load weight really had me puffy!

We are all taking RX 125 IU sublingually 2 times a day. My daughter was doing homeoapthic but was experiencing much more hunger than she did her other 2 rounds so we switched her over to the RX yesterday. She said she feels better today already. :-)

Hope you enjoy these stats. They will include information from all THREE rounds.

Shirley:
Week 1: Round 1 - 12 Round 2 - 5.6 Round 3: -11.8 Total HCG loss so far: 61 pounds
Beginning weight round 1: 221.8
Today's weight: 160.8
Teen Son:
Week 1: Round 1 - 9.8 Round 2 -10.2 Round 3: -10.2 Total HCG loss so far: 31 pounds
Beginning weight round 1: 217
Today's weight: 186

Teen Daughter:
Week 1: Round 1 -7.6 Round 2 -7.4 Round 3 -5.4 Total HCG loss so far: 23.4 pounds
Beginning weight round 1: 183
Today's weight: 158.6

Hubby VLCD 5: -.8 Total R3 loss: -7.6

I know many of you have requested that I post pictures. I am working on it! :-) I'm very techy challenged and my techy hubby has not had time to help me... that tech support guy has me on hold! Tee hee! So if you are DYING to see me, then go to this link and view my before and after pictures:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HcgDieters/photos/album/46890302/pic/list



Today I'm wearing the skinny jeans from the picture. :-) You may have to join the group to see the pictures. It would be worth it, to join the group that is, the group has some great hcg veterans with thousands of helpful posts to help you through your hcg journey.

Have a GREAT day!

Ordering hCG and Dosing Supplies

There are 3 ways to dose hCG.

Homeopathic:

Homeopathic has very little real hCG in it. It is made just like all homeopathics. Make sure you understand how homeopathics work before you choose to buy hhcg. There may not be homeopathic hcg on the market for much longer. Recently the FDA has started to crack down on homeopathic hcg distributors.

Here is the one our family used for the first two rounds:

http://www.easyhealthzone.com/h-c-g-plus-homeopathic-2oz-drops-nutri-dyn-p/hcg002.htm?click=71

There is no scientific proof that homeopathic hcg works as well as real prescription (RX) hcg. Some people are not able to use homeopathic, it simply does not work for them. I did not have any concerns about hhcg until my second round when I experienced hunger the entire round, then struggled to stabilize in phase 3 & 4.

If you choose to use homeopathic, be sure to dose at 6 drops 3 times a day, NOT 10-15 drops 3-6 times a day, like most bottles say. They just want to sell you more drops.

DO NOT EVER use Hormone-Free hcg. That means it has NO hcg, meaning it is not hcg, meaning it will not effect your hypothalamus and you will be losing weight by starving your body not by mobilizing and burning fat. You will know if you have a true homeopathic by seeing this listed in the ingredient panel: hCG 12X 30X 60X or something very similar. If all it has listed are vitamins, minerals and aminos it is NOT hcg! Please do no hurt your body by using a product that is not going to do what is needed to mobilize fat.

Prescription (RX) hCG

Order your prescription hcg from:

http://www.alldaychemist.com/

The name brand of hcg that you order does not matter. Just make sure to NOT order the pre-mixed. hCG is only potent for about 3 weeks after mixing. If you order the pre-mixed you have no idea how long it has been mixed and it may very well have lost it's potency before you even receive it.

For Sublingual - under the tongue - dosing.

Order 5000 IU viles. You'll add 20 CC of Sodium Chloride or Saline Wound Wash. You will NOT shake it or jostle it. And you will need to store it in the refrigerator. You will dose 125 IU, which is .5 on an insulin needle, two times a day.

For Injecting

Order 2000 IU viles and the sterile injecting solution. I have not injected so if you ant injection mixing and dosing advice go to:



They have directions on mixing in the files section of the group.

Supplies for RX use:

Sublingual: You will need mixing needles that are 10 ml - 30 ml. You will need a dosing syringe that has a .5 marking, insulin syringes or 3cc syringes work. You will also need a dark colored bottle for mixing and storing it. I used an old stevia bottle that I cleaned out and sterilized. I bought all my syringes at Fleet Farm, they are down the cattle isle and are very inexpensive. They come in 3 packs for less than $2 and you only need one 3 pack of mixing syringes and one of the 3cc dosing. You can re-use the dosing syring for sublingual use.

Injecting:
Since I have never injected... I HATE needles.... I don't offer guidance in this area. You can contact Michele at:

http://www.micheles-hcg-supplies.com/

or Sara at:

http://www.hcgonyourown.com/skinny_me-c_005.htm

Both of these ladies have experience with the protocol and have sublingual and injection kits available. If you don't want to buy from them directly you can at least see exactly what is needed then shop around.

Geering up for Phase 3 Part 1

Phase 3 requires a HUGE mind shift from what our society deems as normal dietary suggestions. Once you are secure in your phase 2 routine take time to start researching what your phase 3 menu should look like.

First you need to realize that fat does NOT make you fat!

Read the book: Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About Itby Gary Taubes. Read the book: Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fatsby Dr. Mary Eing. These books will help you to see that fat, protein, and veggies are your friend, but grains, starches, and sugars will be your demise. You will need a LOT of fat to keep your weight stable. Most of us find that our diets end up being about 60-65% fat in phase 3. You will eat fatty meat, butter, whipping cream, coconut oil.....have to pause here and tell you that you MUST research the benefits of coconut oil for phase 3, phase 4 and maintenance. BUT you must NOT indulge in coconut oil during phase 2. There was a big experiment a while back with hcger's who were using it in phase 2 because of it's positive impact on the metabolism, however the results were mixed. Some lost fine on the CO, but they would NOT stabilize, some lost fine and did stabilize, and some could not lose at all with CO in their daily diet. It is a fat, and Dr. S says no fat. Even though I'm a HUGE coconut oil fan, I will not eat it nor use it topically during phase 2. Here are some great websites to learn about and order coconut oil from:

Wilderness Family Naturals

Tropical Traditions

Sorry, now that I'm done with that little tangent I'll continue the good fats list: fatty beef, pork, chicken with skin on, avocado, olive oil, no sugar added mayonnaise, etc.

Second you need to learn about whole foods, real foods, and nourishing foods.

Read the book: Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocratsby Sally Fallon. You will most likely decide to buy it since the book is filled with Nourishing real food recipes. Read books on and research the Paleo diet. Read the book The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Dietby Rob Wolf for a good understanding of the Paleo diet. I am not a believer in Evolution, BUT these books do talk real food. I believe God created us to eat real food, not foods from a package loaded with chemicals, sugar, and worse. Books on the Paleo diet will help you to learn how satisfying real foods can be.

Third you need to make sure you understand what sugars and starch are.

Sugars do not just mean a bag of white sugar. ANY sugar: honey, maple syrup, agave, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc. are all examples of sugar.

Sugar is also naturally occurring in many foods. For example you WILL eat sugars in your veggies daily. You will focus on greens, all the phase 2 veggies, peppers, avocado (also a GREAT source for fat), green beans, etc. You will avoid potatoes, carrots, peas, winter squash and any high sugar or high starch veggies. You will also eat sugars in your fruits called fructose. However, you must be cautious about fruits that contain too many sugars like watermelon, grapes, dried fruit, etc. It is best to stick with berries during phase 3. This list does not include everything that is acceptable nor all that should be avoided. Do a google search for "starch in vegetables" and "glycemic index of fruit" to find some lists that should help to clear up any questions about which of these foods are phase 3 compliant.

Sugars are also in dairy, it is called lactose. Many dairy products are high in sugar. I like to eat the dairy that has the highest fat, and protein count, it seems to counteract the high sugars. Make sure any dairy you use in phase 3 is full fat plus make sure it does not contain any added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can use butter, full fat sour cream, full fat cream cheese, full fat Greek or regular yogurt, etc. I do not recommend drinking milk while in phase 3. Use whipping cream for your coffee and to whip up or poor over frozen berries. YUM!

Starch is also in ALL grains and beans. That means you must avoid wheat, spelt, kamult, oats, barley, rice, soy, etc. All dry beans must also be avoided: kidney, black, red, garbanzo, black, etc. This also is not a list that includes everything you must avoid, it is simply a guide so you can realize what foods should be avoided. If you want to learn about how wheat and grains can have a negative effect on your body, especially your cardiac health read the book: Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Healthby Dr. William Davis. I'm not anti-wheat, but I do think that many are sensitive to and they they do not realize it. I also believe that we do not NEED grains in our diets to have optimum health. I think it is wise to educate yourself on grains as well as how to properly prepare them if you do choose to eat them. The Nourishing Traditions book will teach you how to ferment and cook them properly. BUT grains MUST wait until phase 4. So you have lots of time to learn if you are still in phase 2. :-)

I will post later about sample menu's, tracking your calories: fat, protein, and carbs, and how to ease into phase 3 without too much stomach distress. For now, your assignment is to read these books and LEARN why you got fat in the first place and what you will need to change so you can maintain your new weight loss through hcg.