Sigh. Where has the time gone?
I have been swamped with the goings-on in my life. Advocating for my daughter has become my secondary job. We finally have treatment plans for her and someone to help with that. We are STILL in the process of doing assessments with the school district and those will determine what kinds of help they will provide to her. All of this is especially critical right now as the school board, in all their wisdom, decided to close my daughter's school next year (despite the fact that it was the BEST performing school in the district for many years). My sweet, socially awkward and shy girl will be walking into a new school next year and I want her armed with as many social tools and tricks as we can give her. I also want the support programs in place so someone will be there to check on her throughout the day.
Then there is my "real" job. I am the lead Biologist on a new project which has ballooned into a HUGE project that has to get done ASAP. I am constantly working on this project in one way or another.
Add to that my favorite "job" which is being wife and mother. Obviously my daughter's needs are taking up some of that time, but I am still trying to balance the needs of my 3 year old boy (he starts soccer tomorrow!) and my husband. I must admit, I am falling woefully short in my duties as a good wife. My poor husband. It is a good thing he is a patient man.
And finally, there is me. I am struggling to take care of me. I am eking out exercise when I can. I am still taking tap class once a week and have been able to add back one pilates class. That leaves me with 5 days that I have to try to squeeze in a round on my treadmill or a walk with the fam. I am making it happen about 3 out of 5 most weeks, so that is good.
As for dieting...well, I am far from being ready to take on another round of HCG. I love the diet (well, the results), but it is one of the most mentally taxing and will-requiring things I have ever done. I just don't have the metal fortitude to do it right now. I botched my last round completely and failed to even do a P3. As a result, I didn't reset my metabolism and found myself back to my pre-round 3 weight. Sigh. I am doing well with just counting calories. It is working; I am losing weight slowly, but surely. I track my progress on myfitnesspal.com. It is easy and I have an app for my Android phone (they have them for iPhones too). It's FREE. If you want to join me, you can find me to friend me; look for Peapodamus. The program can adapt to almost any diet out there.
Okay, so, you probably won't see much from me in the coming months. I hope you understand, I just need to circle the wagons and take care of the things that are at the very top of my list.
Hugs,
Amy
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
R3P2D26
Okay, just a quick entry today. I am up 0.4, but that is not a surprise considering my loss of the other day and it is close to the end of my round. I also made some bad choices for P2 (they were good P3 choices, but I am not in P3 yet!).
Going to try to stick with my modified version of P2 for the last few days. It works if I do that.
Starting to look forward to P3 and all the things I can add back in.
Thinking of you all and hope you have a great weekend,
Enjoy the day!
Amy
Going to try to stick with my modified version of P2 for the last few days. It works if I do that.
Starting to look forward to P3 and all the things I can add back in.
Thinking of you all and hope you have a great weekend,
Enjoy the day!
Amy
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
R3P2D24
Holy Releases Batman! I lost 2.0 lbs when I stepped on the scale today. I mean, wow! Considering that I altered the protocol I am feeling pretty lucky. Of course I am anticipating the weight bouncing back (cause that is how this round goes), but will enjoy the loss for now.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
R3P2D23
Yay! Lost 1.0 lbs again. Lost this very pound a few times this round, LOL.
So, I am changing things up a little for my last week of shots. I am going rogue on Dr. Simeon's protocol so please don't take this as approved on the plan. I know the plan, I have followed the plan, but it is not going to be what I do for this last week.
This restructuring is mostly because I ran out of my doctor recommended meal replacement shake. That, and the fact that I have zero will-power this round. I could have just added back in the fruit and the melbas (well, rice crackers for me) that my doc took out and replaced with the shake. But, to be honest, I don't think I can control myself with the crackers. So, I decided to add in a tiny bit of protein (about a 50 g serving instead of a full one) and a fruit (bringing me to the approved 2) and another veggie. What that translates to is I had an egg and a green smoothie (spinach and strawberries) this morning. The rest of the day will basically be on protocol.
However, I love Darby's suggestion in her comments on yesterday's post. Since I am struggling so mightily with little cheats, I am going to try to allow a reasonable cheat once a day. For me it will probably be a small handful of nuts or a scoop of peanut butter. I will do this either in the afternoon or in the evening which are my typical weakest times. I will try to resist doing it at all. I am hoping that knowing I CAN do this will translate into not doing it. Sometimes that is just the way I roll.
Oh, and for all the tea drinkers out there I have to tell you about a new tea that was introduced to me by a friend. It is by Bigelow and is called White Chocolate Kisses. It is soooo delicious! I put my 2 tablespoons of milk in there, along with a couple drops of stevia and it is heaven. I don't know why they call it white chocolate when it has actual cocoa powder. Because cocoa contains fat (they do use lowfat) and there is rice concentrate in there, you don't want to drink this if you are strictly following protocol.
Okay, back to work!
Enjoy the day,
Amy
So, I am changing things up a little for my last week of shots. I am going rogue on Dr. Simeon's protocol so please don't take this as approved on the plan. I know the plan, I have followed the plan, but it is not going to be what I do for this last week.
This restructuring is mostly because I ran out of my doctor recommended meal replacement shake. That, and the fact that I have zero will-power this round. I could have just added back in the fruit and the melbas (well, rice crackers for me) that my doc took out and replaced with the shake. But, to be honest, I don't think I can control myself with the crackers. So, I decided to add in a tiny bit of protein (about a 50 g serving instead of a full one) and a fruit (bringing me to the approved 2) and another veggie. What that translates to is I had an egg and a green smoothie (spinach and strawberries) this morning. The rest of the day will basically be on protocol.
However, I love Darby's suggestion in her comments on yesterday's post. Since I am struggling so mightily with little cheats, I am going to try to allow a reasonable cheat once a day. For me it will probably be a small handful of nuts or a scoop of peanut butter. I will do this either in the afternoon or in the evening which are my typical weakest times. I will try to resist doing it at all. I am hoping that knowing I CAN do this will translate into not doing it. Sometimes that is just the way I roll.
Oh, and for all the tea drinkers out there I have to tell you about a new tea that was introduced to me by a friend. It is by Bigelow and is called White Chocolate Kisses. It is soooo delicious! I put my 2 tablespoons of milk in there, along with a couple drops of stevia and it is heaven. I don't know why they call it white chocolate when it has actual cocoa powder. Because cocoa contains fat (they do use lowfat) and there is rice concentrate in there, you don't want to drink this if you are strictly following protocol.
Okay, back to work!
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Monday, February 7, 2011
R3P2D22
Geez. I am up, I am down, I am up, I am down, I am UP. Back up about 1.8 lbs. I deserve it though. Lots of little cheats over the weekend. It all started with the fundraiser. I did bring my apple, but they had beautiful fresh fruit. Had that instead, probably more than a serving. And instead of a veggie tray, they had a pickle, olive and cheese tray. That was disaster for me. There was no other food I could have so I had pickles, olives and a little cheese. I didn't drink. Yay me.
Then the rest of the weekend was just full of little cheats. No epic fails, just little cheats, that added to gains.
I am so not doing well on this round. I thought I could ride out the stress with my daughter's stuff, but I think it is undermining my will-power. I am normally rock solid and don't cheat a bit (other than the minor changes my doc has made to the program and occasional extra protein on work out days). This time I am having a little of this and a little of that all of the time.
I contemplated just ending this round and going to P3. I only have a week's worth of shots left so I thought I would see how the first few days of this week go and then decide. Either way I am happy I lost all of my holiday weight, but sad I won't reach anywhere close to my goal. Sigh.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Then the rest of the weekend was just full of little cheats. No epic fails, just little cheats, that added to gains.
I am so not doing well on this round. I thought I could ride out the stress with my daughter's stuff, but I think it is undermining my will-power. I am normally rock solid and don't cheat a bit (other than the minor changes my doc has made to the program and occasional extra protein on work out days). This time I am having a little of this and a little of that all of the time.
I contemplated just ending this round and going to P3. I only have a week's worth of shots left so I thought I would see how the first few days of this week go and then decide. Either way I am happy I lost all of my holiday weight, but sad I won't reach anywhere close to my goal. Sigh.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Friday, February 4, 2011
R3P2D19
Yippee! I lost another 1 lb. I am so happy that my french-fry accident didn't lead to more gains. I am back to my pre-weekend-of-fun weight again. Kind of questioning whether wasting an entire week of shots was worth it, but you can't really go back, right?
Things are going smoothly so far today. I have a lunch date with a friend, but we both plan to head straight for the salad bar. Lettuce and chicken for me. I can do that.
It's tonight that will be a challenge. Hubby and I are going to a fundraiser for CASA (one of my very favorite charitable organizations and one I plan to work with once my kiddos are more independent). Problem 1 is that I don't know when I will have time to eat an P2 friendly meal. We take the kids to the sitter at 5:45. I will barely have time to get ready, let alone eat. Problem 2 is there will be lots of hors d'oeuvres and alcohol. Most the the food I can resist due to my 'Celiac related gluten issues, but without time to eat before the event...I may have a trickier time resisting the non-gluten, non-P2 stuff. I will try my best to not have alcohol. Problem 3, can't wait to eat until we leave 'cause we will likely be there until 11 at night.
Okay, I can do this. I will find a way. I don't want to waster anymore time on this round. Onederland is not going to happen for me if I don't turn this around right now. Grrr.
Have a great weekend,
Amy
Things are going smoothly so far today. I have a lunch date with a friend, but we both plan to head straight for the salad bar. Lettuce and chicken for me. I can do that.
It's tonight that will be a challenge. Hubby and I are going to a fundraiser for CASA (one of my very favorite charitable organizations and one I plan to work with once my kiddos are more independent). Problem 1 is that I don't know when I will have time to eat an P2 friendly meal. We take the kids to the sitter at 5:45. I will barely have time to get ready, let alone eat. Problem 2 is there will be lots of hors d'oeuvres and alcohol. Most the the food I can resist due to my 'Celiac related gluten issues, but without time to eat before the event...I may have a trickier time resisting the non-gluten, non-P2 stuff. I will try my best to not have alcohol. Problem 3, can't wait to eat until we leave 'cause we will likely be there until 11 at night.
Okay, I can do this. I will find a way. I don't want to waster anymore time on this round. Onederland is not going to happen for me if I don't turn this around right now. Grrr.
Have a great weekend,
Amy
Thursday, February 3, 2011
R3P2D18
Well, darn it. I am up 0.6 lbs. To be honest I was expecting more. I made some bad choices yesterday and am wondering if I will pay with more gains tomorrow.
So, yesterday I started out hungry and never really wasn't hungry. That is a bad sign. Wednesdays are really busy for our family. After work I pick up my daughter and take her straight to her dance class. After that we have an hour to spend as a family before I go to my tap class. We choose to eat out at some of the restaurants that are near the dance studio. While on HCG protocol our choices are more limited than usual. We typically eat at a local burger place (serves grass-fed beef, etc) or a local build-your-own-Mexican place. I know what I can get and stay on program and gluten-free.
So, I had my hamburger patty in a lettuce wrap and some slices of tomato (yes, I am a no-good veggie mixer when I am on P2. It has NEVER made a difference in my losses and it makes me happy, just sayin'). My kids had their meals which had fries and this amazing sauce that this place makes. Normally I can resist, no problem. Apparently not last night. I thought I would just have a couple and stop. I justified it by saying I would burn the extra calories in tap class. All of that probably would have been fine. A no-no, but probably wouldn't have done much. But I didn't stop there. My daughter is not a fry girl so there were lots of neglected spud sticks in her basket. I guess I don't need to tell you where this went. Sheesh. At least I didn't eat them all. I left a few. ;)
Okay, so far today I am doing what I am supposed to do. Hoping I haven't set myself back too much.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
So, yesterday I started out hungry and never really wasn't hungry. That is a bad sign. Wednesdays are really busy for our family. After work I pick up my daughter and take her straight to her dance class. After that we have an hour to spend as a family before I go to my tap class. We choose to eat out at some of the restaurants that are near the dance studio. While on HCG protocol our choices are more limited than usual. We typically eat at a local burger place (serves grass-fed beef, etc) or a local build-your-own-Mexican place. I know what I can get and stay on program and gluten-free.
So, I had my hamburger patty in a lettuce wrap and some slices of tomato (yes, I am a no-good veggie mixer when I am on P2. It has NEVER made a difference in my losses and it makes me happy, just sayin'). My kids had their meals which had fries and this amazing sauce that this place makes. Normally I can resist, no problem. Apparently not last night. I thought I would just have a couple and stop. I justified it by saying I would burn the extra calories in tap class. All of that probably would have been fine. A no-no, but probably wouldn't have done much. But I didn't stop there. My daughter is not a fry girl so there were lots of neglected spud sticks in her basket. I guess I don't need to tell you where this went. Sheesh. At least I didn't eat them all. I left a few. ;)
Okay, so far today I am doing what I am supposed to do. Hoping I haven't set myself back too much.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
R3P2D17
Nice! Lost the last of the over indulgent weekend gain. 2.4 lbs today!
I am hungry today. I am going to try to push through with lots of yummy tea. I survive on tea when I am on HCG. I drink it when I am not following protocol 'cause I do love tea, but when I am on P2 I am never without tea. I have traditional teas like Earl Grey, Assam, English/Irish/Scottish Breakfast, etc. I have fun flavored black and green teas like blueberry, black raspberry, strawberry, Earl Grey Cream, vanilla caramel truffle (OMG!). And in the evenings I consume large amounts of red tea (rooibos). I am currently enjoying coconut chai and Good Hope vanilla red teas.
I do whatever it takes not to eat off protocol. Most of the time it works. ;)
Enjoy the day,
Amy
I am hungry today. I am going to try to push through with lots of yummy tea. I survive on tea when I am on HCG. I drink it when I am not following protocol 'cause I do love tea, but when I am on P2 I am never without tea. I have traditional teas like Earl Grey, Assam, English/Irish/Scottish Breakfast, etc. I have fun flavored black and green teas like blueberry, black raspberry, strawberry, Earl Grey Cream, vanilla caramel truffle (OMG!). And in the evenings I consume large amounts of red tea (rooibos). I am currently enjoying coconut chai and Good Hope vanilla red teas.
I do whatever it takes not to eat off protocol. Most of the time it works. ;)
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
R3P2D16
Lost 3.6 lbs when I got on the scale today! Wahoo! Knew that water weight would go quickly. Now I just need to get a little bit more off and I am back to my pre-weekend weight.
Met with a friend of mine today who really helped with this whole Asperger's/Autism Spectrum stuff. Her son has Asperger's. We had a long talk about life with our amazing kiddos and she was able to provide me with a unique perspective. I have been talking about this a lot with my other friends and speaking to lots of experts and reading far too many websites/blogs about Autism. She was able to really relate to the feelings I am having and we even talked about some coping mechanisms that I hadn't heard before.
One of the biggest "aha" moments was when I was telling her that my daughter really has no friends, she isn't well-liked by her peers and she never gets invited to play dates or birthday parties. My friend looked at me and asked, "does it bother her?" Well, no, it doesn't. My sweet girl is rather oblivious to these facts. She is confident and happy with herself. I should revel in that fact and not try to beat my head against a wall trying to force friendships that aren't there. If my girl does start to be bothered by lack of friends, I can take on that challenge at that time. Wow. That was a big moment for me.
Okay, sorry. I don't intend to turn my HCG blog into an Autism blog. I just wanted to let you all know how things are progressing for me in that area. It is a big part of my life right now and affects all aspects of my life, including my weight loss plans. So I appreciate you letting me share.
Hugs,
Amy
Met with a friend of mine today who really helped with this whole Asperger's/Autism Spectrum stuff. Her son has Asperger's. We had a long talk about life with our amazing kiddos and she was able to provide me with a unique perspective. I have been talking about this a lot with my other friends and speaking to lots of experts and reading far too many websites/blogs about Autism. She was able to really relate to the feelings I am having and we even talked about some coping mechanisms that I hadn't heard before.
One of the biggest "aha" moments was when I was telling her that my daughter really has no friends, she isn't well-liked by her peers and she never gets invited to play dates or birthday parties. My friend looked at me and asked, "does it bother her?" Well, no, it doesn't. My sweet girl is rather oblivious to these facts. She is confident and happy with herself. I should revel in that fact and not try to beat my head against a wall trying to force friendships that aren't there. If my girl does start to be bothered by lack of friends, I can take on that challenge at that time. Wow. That was a big moment for me.
Okay, sorry. I don't intend to turn my HCG blog into an Autism blog. I just wanted to let you all know how things are progressing for me in that area. It is a big part of my life right now and affects all aspects of my life, including my weight loss plans. So I appreciate you letting me share.
Hugs,
Amy
Monday, January 31, 2011
R3P2D15
Back to life, back to reality!
My little weekend of escape from reality hit me in the butt, big time. I managed to load on 6.6 lbs this weekend! Yikes! Now, some of that is water weight. You can't eat out for 9 consecutive meals and not take in a bit of sodium. I know I will see a big drop tomorrow and the rest will come off soon.
Boy, the hubby and I had a good time! We enjoyed the 48 hours of not being responsible for anyone but ourselves. We saw Brian Regan, watched a movie in a real theater, explored bookstores, and walked and wandered all over town. We ate at fancy places and hole-in-the-wall places. Had a few cocktails too. All of it was yummy and I overate. I was sick after almost every meal (is that the HCG? It kinda felt like morning sickness and I haven't experienced that yet on protocol....)
Anyhoo, it is back with the regularly scheduled program today. And I am okay with that.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
My little weekend of escape from reality hit me in the butt, big time. I managed to load on 6.6 lbs this weekend! Yikes! Now, some of that is water weight. You can't eat out for 9 consecutive meals and not take in a bit of sodium. I know I will see a big drop tomorrow and the rest will come off soon.
Boy, the hubby and I had a good time! We enjoyed the 48 hours of not being responsible for anyone but ourselves. We saw Brian Regan, watched a movie in a real theater, explored bookstores, and walked and wandered all over town. We ate at fancy places and hole-in-the-wall places. Had a few cocktails too. All of it was yummy and I overate. I was sick after almost every meal (is that the HCG? It kinda felt like morning sickness and I haven't experienced that yet on protocol....)
Anyhoo, it is back with the regularly scheduled program today. And I am okay with that.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Thursday, January 27, 2011
R3P2D11
Lost 0.6 lbs when I weighed in today. Good enough, all things considered.
My husband turned 40 earlier in the month, but we are finally going to be celebrating it this weekend. We are leaving the kids with their godparents (thanks J and D) and heading to the big city for two nights of fun. And here is what I have decided. I am going to continue the injections, but I am not going to be strict with protocol. I'm going to enjoy a cappuccino if we go to a coffee house. I am going to enjoy whatever gluten-free entree I can find at the nice restaurants we have reservations with. I need an escape from my daily life more than anything right now and I have given myself permission to escape Dr. Simeon for 2 days. I will deal with the consequences.
We head out of town tomorrow morning. I will post again next Monday.
Thanks for all your support,
Amy
My husband turned 40 earlier in the month, but we are finally going to be celebrating it this weekend. We are leaving the kids with their godparents (thanks J and D) and heading to the big city for two nights of fun. And here is what I have decided. I am going to continue the injections, but I am not going to be strict with protocol. I'm going to enjoy a cappuccino if we go to a coffee house. I am going to enjoy whatever gluten-free entree I can find at the nice restaurants we have reservations with. I need an escape from my daily life more than anything right now and I have given myself permission to escape Dr. Simeon for 2 days. I will deal with the consequences.
We head out of town tomorrow morning. I will post again next Monday.
Thanks for all your support,
Amy
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
R3P2D10
Not much loss on the scale this morning (-0.2 lbs). But really I am glad there wasn't a gain. My mind was such a mess last night. I was complete jello. I made some bad food decisions and didn't compensate for them by not having dinner. Nope, I ate 2 cheese sticks and a hand full of almonds and a hand full of chocolate chips. I was hungry, I was emotional and I was a goner. Then I ate dinner and called it a night. I was expecting a gain, but saw a small loss. Perhaps I will see the full effect with a gain tomorrow. That's okay, I will own it. My brain needed more nutrients to get beyond yesterday's blues.
I do feel better today.
Amy
I do feel better today.
Amy
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
R3P2D9
Lost 0.6 lbs when I weighed in this morning. A loss is a loss right? Still, disappointing. I love it when it is over 1 lb, but not today.
Anyway, keeping on protocol for the most part despite the rough times for my family right now. I am struggling with my emotions surrounding my daughter. It is hard advocating for your child and facing the fact that she may have a lifelong disability. I know she will be fine and she is just wonderful the way she is. But, we went through 8 or so years of thinking she was going to face life one way and now we are forced to change our perspectives and face a slightly different future.
Yesterday and today have been hardest emotionally. I don't think I could point to anything that has happened other than my mind is processing all of this. It is almost like the grieving process with distinct phases. I have just reached a phase in this process where I am struggling. I am close to accepting it and want to find a way to move to the next step. I want to start advocating for her with all of her teachers, but we don't have an official diagnosis yet. I don't know if I should wait for it or go an advocate for her now. I don't want to give her a label and have the pros come up with a different diagnosis...
It's just hard.
Amy
Anyway, keeping on protocol for the most part despite the rough times for my family right now. I am struggling with my emotions surrounding my daughter. It is hard advocating for your child and facing the fact that she may have a lifelong disability. I know she will be fine and she is just wonderful the way she is. But, we went through 8 or so years of thinking she was going to face life one way and now we are forced to change our perspectives and face a slightly different future.
Yesterday and today have been hardest emotionally. I don't think I could point to anything that has happened other than my mind is processing all of this. It is almost like the grieving process with distinct phases. I have just reached a phase in this process where I am struggling. I am close to accepting it and want to find a way to move to the next step. I want to start advocating for her with all of her teachers, but we don't have an official diagnosis yet. I don't know if I should wait for it or go an advocate for her now. I don't want to give her a label and have the pros come up with a different diagnosis...
It's just hard.
Amy
Monday, January 24, 2011
R3P2D8
What a busy weekend. I was home again on Friday with my sick little boy. He wasn't too bad (cold and ear infection) but this particular round of colds has led to a lot of kids with pneumonia so the pediatrician wanted him home until today. It is hard for me to post when I am at home so that is why you are getting your first update today.
Since Thurs I have lost a total of 4.2 lbs! That is such a great number! I had one day of zero loss, but lost all the other days. No complaints there!
Tried a few new recipes and most were dogs. Let's just put it this way, I am never going to try to puree chicken to make "cream of chicken soup" again. Blech!
Had dinner with friends at my house last night and was able to stay on program nicely. I made my "Not Rocket Science Grilled Chicken" and everyone loved it. And then I enjoyed a green salad with everyone else and they all had bread and/or mac and cheese (kiddos). I don't have amazing willpower to resist the carbs...I have Celiac Disease and the carbs would make me really sick and set off a firestorm of immune responses. No thanks. I guess the ability to resist soft, white bread is my silver lining in the cloud that is Celiac.
My lunch today is another new recipe and it is pretty good. I know I got it from somewhere out there in web world, but I don't know where. So, with humble apologies for not crediting the originator of the recipe, here it is:
Lemon Chicken Soup
1-2 C chicken broth
100g chicken breast, cooked and diced (I use leftovers)
baby spinach leaves (allowed amount)
1 Tbsp dried, minced onion flakes
1 tsp dried thyme (or your favorite herb)
lemon juice, up to 1 lemon's juice
salt and pepper to taste
Bring chicken broth to a boil, add next 4 ingredients, return to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 min, add lemon juice 1Tbs at a time, stir and taste after each addition. Add until it reaches your desired taste. The lemon can really take over easily if you add all the juice at once. I used about 2 Tbs with this particular lemon today. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and enjoy!
This is pretty good. I might try oregano instead of the thyme next time. Thyme next time, I crack myself up! It might also be improved with the addition of a clove of garlic, crushed and sauteed in a little chicken broth as a first step.
Enjoy!
Amy
Since Thurs I have lost a total of 4.2 lbs! That is such a great number! I had one day of zero loss, but lost all the other days. No complaints there!
Tried a few new recipes and most were dogs. Let's just put it this way, I am never going to try to puree chicken to make "cream of chicken soup" again. Blech!
Had dinner with friends at my house last night and was able to stay on program nicely. I made my "Not Rocket Science Grilled Chicken" and everyone loved it. And then I enjoyed a green salad with everyone else and they all had bread and/or mac and cheese (kiddos). I don't have amazing willpower to resist the carbs...I have Celiac Disease and the carbs would make me really sick and set off a firestorm of immune responses. No thanks. I guess the ability to resist soft, white bread is my silver lining in the cloud that is Celiac.
My lunch today is another new recipe and it is pretty good. I know I got it from somewhere out there in web world, but I don't know where. So, with humble apologies for not crediting the originator of the recipe, here it is:
Lemon Chicken Soup
1-2 C chicken broth
100g chicken breast, cooked and diced (I use leftovers)
baby spinach leaves (allowed amount)
1 Tbsp dried, minced onion flakes
1 tsp dried thyme (or your favorite herb)
lemon juice, up to 1 lemon's juice
salt and pepper to taste
Bring chicken broth to a boil, add next 4 ingredients, return to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 min, add lemon juice 1Tbs at a time, stir and taste after each addition. Add until it reaches your desired taste. The lemon can really take over easily if you add all the juice at once. I used about 2 Tbs with this particular lemon today. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and enjoy!
This is pretty good. I might try oregano instead of the thyme next time. Thyme next time, I crack myself up! It might also be improved with the addition of a clove of garlic, crushed and sauteed in a little chicken broth as a first step.
Enjoy!
Amy
Thursday, January 20, 2011
R2P2D4
Lost another 2.2lbs according to the scale today!
I love the first week of P2, always such nice drops. I know the .5 and 1 lb days are coming, even the zeros, but I am trying to enjoy these large losses for now.
Can't write too much today as I am home with a sick son. He has a really bad cold and an ear infection. Poor little guy.
I will also have to wait to catch up with the rest of you as I don't have all the bookmarks for your blogs at home. I know you guys are doing well!
Okay, better go take care of Mr. Coughy Cougherson. :)
Enjoy the day,
Amy
I love the first week of P2, always such nice drops. I know the .5 and 1 lb days are coming, even the zeros, but I am trying to enjoy these large losses for now.
Can't write too much today as I am home with a sick son. He has a really bad cold and an ear infection. Poor little guy.
I will also have to wait to catch up with the rest of you as I don't have all the bookmarks for your blogs at home. I know you guys are doing well!
Okay, better go take care of Mr. Coughy Cougherson. :)
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
R3P2D3
Loading weight is GONE! Lost another 3.4 lbs as of this morning! Wahoo!
I did see an uptick in my body fat percentage which is a little bothersome. I am more concerned about losing lean muscle mass on this round because I had to drop my pilates classes. (Quick review: my daughter is struggling with some social-developmental issues (she is getting tested for Asperger's Syndrome) and I needed to use my free time to help her which meant I had to sacrifice the pilates). I am trying to find time in my evening schedule to add in some simple strength training exercises, but that is so much more easily said than done. Sigh.
Anyhoo, made some tasty fish last night. It is based on a fancier recipe that I make for my family. You can see that version on my other blog. So, here is the HCG friendly version. I made all of fish this way and then added in some butter to thicken the sauce for the family. Always a big hit.
Poached White Fish with Lemon
1 lb white fish (cod or sole are great)
1/2 C chicken or vegetable broth
2 lemons, 1 sliced very thinly, 1 juiced
1/2 tsp dried (or 1/2 Tbs fresh, minced) dill weed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Season fish with salt and pepper. If using sole, fold each piece in thirds to prevent it cooking too quickly. Pour broth into a large skillet. Add fish/fish rolls and cover the fish with the thin slices of lemon. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer the fish for about 5-7 min (folded sole may take as little as 3 min) until it reaches desired doneness. Transfer fish to a plate and sprinkle with dill. Bring broth back to a boil and reduce by half (about 2 minutes), add lemon juice and remove sauce from the heat. (Word of caution: if your lemon is very sour you may want to add a small amount at a time and taste, then add more if needed. When there is no fat in the recipe, the lemon can easily take over and dominate the dish). Serve fish with a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce over the top. Yum!
Enjoy,
Amy
I did see an uptick in my body fat percentage which is a little bothersome. I am more concerned about losing lean muscle mass on this round because I had to drop my pilates classes. (Quick review: my daughter is struggling with some social-developmental issues (she is getting tested for Asperger's Syndrome) and I needed to use my free time to help her which meant I had to sacrifice the pilates). I am trying to find time in my evening schedule to add in some simple strength training exercises, but that is so much more easily said than done. Sigh.
Anyhoo, made some tasty fish last night. It is based on a fancier recipe that I make for my family. You can see that version on my other blog. So, here is the HCG friendly version. I made all of fish this way and then added in some butter to thicken the sauce for the family. Always a big hit.
Poached White Fish with Lemon
1 lb white fish (cod or sole are great)
1/2 C chicken or vegetable broth
2 lemons, 1 sliced very thinly, 1 juiced
1/2 tsp dried (or 1/2 Tbs fresh, minced) dill weed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Season fish with salt and pepper. If using sole, fold each piece in thirds to prevent it cooking too quickly. Pour broth into a large skillet. Add fish/fish rolls and cover the fish with the thin slices of lemon. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer the fish for about 5-7 min (folded sole may take as little as 3 min) until it reaches desired doneness. Transfer fish to a plate and sprinkle with dill. Bring broth back to a boil and reduce by half (about 2 minutes), add lemon juice and remove sauce from the heat. (Word of caution: if your lemon is very sour you may want to add a small amount at a time and taste, then add more if needed. When there is no fat in the recipe, the lemon can easily take over and dominate the dish). Serve fish with a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce over the top. Yum!
Enjoy,
Amy
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
R3P2D2
Boy oh boy did I load! I gained 6 lbs in 2 (really 3) days of loading. I lost 4.6 of it when I weighed in this morning. Woot!
In reality, I have been loading for the last 2 months. LOL. Ever since my fabulous 40th bday party I have been eating like there are no consequences. Well, there are consequences. No matter, I am back on the program now.
I am injecting 150 units/day for the next 4 weeks. I am hoping that, despite my post-bday-holiday gains, I can still reach my round 3 goal of getting to onederland. I did 4 weeks last time because I only bought one vial of the stuff. I didn't realize that the mixed HCG only lasts 30 days.
I liked the shorter round a lot better. I did well and I actually stabilized really well, until my bday...ahem. In fact, I am watching Lis over at Random Thoughts and HCG because she is doing a cyclic series of short rounds, followed by P3 and then right back into P2. If she does well, I might consider doing it too.
I won't give you a daily food diary, but here is what I eat over the course of the day (based on my doctor's protocol which I followed for round 1):
2, 100g servings of allowed meats
2 servings of allowed vegetables
1 allowed fruit
1 serving UltraMeal meal replacement shake (doc has us do this instead of a second fruit and the melba/grissini)
Other than the MR shake, it follows Dr. Simeon's protocol. I will be trying some new recipes and making some old stand-bys. I will post any successes so stayed tuned.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
In reality, I have been loading for the last 2 months. LOL. Ever since my fabulous 40th bday party I have been eating like there are no consequences. Well, there are consequences. No matter, I am back on the program now.
I am injecting 150 units/day for the next 4 weeks. I am hoping that, despite my post-bday-holiday gains, I can still reach my round 3 goal of getting to onederland. I did 4 weeks last time because I only bought one vial of the stuff. I didn't realize that the mixed HCG only lasts 30 days.
I liked the shorter round a lot better. I did well and I actually stabilized really well, until my bday...ahem. In fact, I am watching Lis over at Random Thoughts and HCG because she is doing a cyclic series of short rounds, followed by P3 and then right back into P2. If she does well, I might consider doing it too.
I won't give you a daily food diary, but here is what I eat over the course of the day (based on my doctor's protocol which I followed for round 1):
2, 100g servings of allowed meats
2 servings of allowed vegetables
1 allowed fruit
1 serving UltraMeal meal replacement shake (doc has us do this instead of a second fruit and the melba/grissini)
Other than the MR shake, it follows Dr. Simeon's protocol. I will be trying some new recipes and making some old stand-bys. I will post any successes so stayed tuned.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Monday, January 10, 2011
Round 3, Holiday Regrets and GO DUCKS!
First, GO DUCKS! Tonight is the BCS Championship game and I am so nervous and excited for my Ducks! We really are a good team, but we are playing another really good team. It is the type of team we haven't encountered yet...one A LOT like ours. I would love it if we win, but as long as we play well, make it a good game, and prove we earned our place there, I will be a happy duck. I have been cheering for this team most of my life and for most of it we either sucked or were mediocre. I got both of my degrees from there. You could say I bleed green and yellow. It is so great to finally see them doing so well.
Okay, round 3 is coming up for me. I am loading this weekend at a scrap retreat weekend with my girlfriends. They know all about HCG, but have never seen me load. The reality is something to behold, right fellow HCGers??? Anyhoo, I was sure I was going to be able to start my round this month. I had ordered my HCG Rx and supplies clear back at the beginning of Nov. I checked on it every once in awhile and it seemed to be forever stuck in customs. Then, out of the blue, I get this email one day that says that the online pharmacy received notification that I had received my product. Um...no. I got onto their live chat and explained the situation. They reissued the prescription and it arrived just a couple of weeks later. I am good to go! Phew!
So...I did maintain for the longest time. Then came Thanksgiving, my 40th bday and the rest of the holidays and there traditional foods and drinks. I ate any amount of anything I wanted for about a month and a half. I also didn't keep up with my exercise and have even had to drop my beloved pilates (long story, but I needed that time to spend with my daughter who is going through some developmental struggles right now, she needed me more than I needed the pilates). The result of that free-wheeling month-o-eating is about a 9 lb gain. Yikes! I got back to eating P3 last week and started to feel much better. Can't say much weight has come off, but I have been feeling better. Darn those starches and carbs.
So, the first half of my 4 week round will be losing what I gained since the last round. Gosh I hate that. After that round I am not going to wait so long for the next one. Maybe then I won't have to re-lose some weight.
Looking forward to losing. Would love to hear from you for any reason, but especially if we are going to be round buddies.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
Okay, round 3 is coming up for me. I am loading this weekend at a scrap retreat weekend with my girlfriends. They know all about HCG, but have never seen me load. The reality is something to behold, right fellow HCGers??? Anyhoo, I was sure I was going to be able to start my round this month. I had ordered my HCG Rx and supplies clear back at the beginning of Nov. I checked on it every once in awhile and it seemed to be forever stuck in customs. Then, out of the blue, I get this email one day that says that the online pharmacy received notification that I had received my product. Um...no. I got onto their live chat and explained the situation. They reissued the prescription and it arrived just a couple of weeks later. I am good to go! Phew!
So...I did maintain for the longest time. Then came Thanksgiving, my 40th bday and the rest of the holidays and there traditional foods and drinks. I ate any amount of anything I wanted for about a month and a half. I also didn't keep up with my exercise and have even had to drop my beloved pilates (long story, but I needed that time to spend with my daughter who is going through some developmental struggles right now, she needed me more than I needed the pilates). The result of that free-wheeling month-o-eating is about a 9 lb gain. Yikes! I got back to eating P3 last week and started to feel much better. Can't say much weight has come off, but I have been feeling better. Darn those starches and carbs.
So, the first half of my 4 week round will be losing what I gained since the last round. Gosh I hate that. After that round I am not going to wait so long for the next one. Maybe then I won't have to re-lose some weight.
Looking forward to losing. Would love to hear from you for any reason, but especially if we are going to be round buddies.
Enjoy the day,
Amy
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