R2P4 (weight????)

Happy Birthday to Darby and me today!!!  I am the big 4-0 and I'll let Darby say her age, if she wants to!

I can tell you this much, today will NOT be a good program day.  I didn't weigh myself cause yesterday wasn't exactly a day for good eating choices either.  I plan to party my heart out at the football game today (GO DUCKS!) and will assess the damage tomorrow.   Can you say steak day??

Hugs to you all, especially any fellow Thanksgiving (or near to) birthdays!!

Amy

R2P4 (+1.2 LIW)

Still in the safety zone.  I am happy about that.  I know some correction days are in my future though.  Next Friday I turn the big 4-0.  I am kind of excited about it.  40 doesn't really scare me.  I am really excited about my big party tomorrow.  My husband has arranged a special dinner with some close friends.  I don't know too many details as they have been kept from me to be a surprise, but I know they have been working on decorations and making sure the food is safely gluten-free for me.  Then, after dinner, we head to a local venue to hook up with even more friends.  It is a little movie theater pub that can be rented out.  We will have a movie in the background, drinks and good company.  I can't think of a better way to celebrate the fact that I made it to my 40s!

Then there is Thanksgiving next week.  We are hosting my in-laws.  I don't plan to make it low-cal.

And the day after that is my actual birthday and a home football game (GO DUCKS!).  One of my best and oldest (by time, not age!) friends will be joining me at the tailgaters and the game.  I don't plan to make this a low-cal affair either.  There will be lots of alcohol too.   So fun!

And it's not done there.  My parents will come down the next day to celebrate a belated birthday and Thanksgiving with us.  Lots of good food with that.  And I will be spending a lot of time away from the house.  I will be back stage at my daughter's 3 Nutcracker performances.  Needless to say, it will not be a weekend of the healthiest choices.

We'll see how the weight does, but I would be shocked if I didn't need 3 or 4 correction days sprinkled in there.  But that is the beauty of it.  I can enjoy this crazy series of celebrations, do the corrections and get back into healthy choices.  It should all balance out in the end.

And for those of you waiting to hear my MRI results.  It was sort of good news.  I don't need to have a disc removed and vertebrae fused.  I do, however, have some long term issues that need to be taken care of.  The lowest part of my cervical vertebrae (neck), c5-c6 and c6-c7 are the problem.  The discs are degenerating near my spinal cord (hence the shooting pain in my right arm and shoulder), one of the discs has a mild bulge but it is on the left side and is asymptomatic (yea!).  The bones of those vertebrae are also degenerating and I have some bone spurs.  Basically, this is all fancy medical speak for arthritis.

I have arthritis in my neck and I am only 40?!?  Sheesh!  I guess that is what you get after a lifetime of clumsy accidents with many head injuries, 2 major car wrecks, heavy lifting jobs at a young age and an auto-immune disease that went undiagnosed for 20 years!  Good thing I have finally figured out how to take care of myself.  I need this body to last for at least another 40 years!

Enjoy the day!
Amy

R2P4 (+0.4 LIW)

Ahhh, that's more like it.  The steak day did the trick.  *breathes sigh of relief*

I have my MRI tomorrow night.  Looking forward to having some answers.  I have no idea just how bad this disc is, but will soon find out.  I will resist any type of fusion surgery with every fiber of my being. 

Here is a recipe for a simple, but absolutely fabulous salmon dinner.  My family likes salmon on its own, but when I added this composed butter they went gaga.  The measurements are very forgiving.  I think I might have used more fresh dill than I listed.  I used lemon juice when I made this, but I am thinking it would only be improved by using lemon zest next time.  When I didn't refrigerate the mixed butter right away, the lemon juice started to come back out of the composition.  Zest wouldn't do that.  I will try it next time.  You will want to refrigerate the butter composition so that it is nice and firm when placing on top of your elegant salmon.  You can even use some spoons to make it into a nice oval shape or a melon baller to make it into balls.  This may not be important if you are just serving your hungry family, but think how impressive it would be if you were serving company....

Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter

1 to 1.5 lbs of your favorite Salmon (mine is Chinook)
oil (I used grapeseed, but olive would be fine, even coconut oil, melted)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 C butter, softened (not melted)
1 Tbs lemon juice (or 1 tsp fresh, finely zested lemon rind)
1 Tbs snipped, fresh dill (or 1.5 tsp dried)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare salmon by rinsing and patting dry the fillet or steaks.  Lightly oil the salmon on all sides and season with salt and pepper.  Bake salmon for 20 min/inch thickness.  You want it to be cooked, but baking it until it flakes is too cooked.  It will be dry.  But, hey, cook it how you like it.
While the salmon bakes, prepare the butter.  Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined.  You will want to scrape it down and pulse several times.  Remove the butter from the processor and refrigerate until the salmon is finished.  Top the salmon with about a tablespoon of the composed butter and enjoy.

The butter is also fabulous on vegetables.  My broccoli was very appreciative of this addition as I gobbled it up with abandon.  Yum!

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P4 (+4.4 lbs LIW!!!)

Ahhhh!

Too much, too much, too much!  Too much nuts, too much cheese, too much wine, too much chocolate, too much carbs.  Just too much things my body shouldn't deal with at the same time equals too much pounds gained.

So, it is steak day for me today.  Should have done one yesterday but had a luncheon that I couldn't avoid.  So I am doing it today.  I am doing a modification though.  I had pilates today so worked my muscles.  I decided I would have an egg before and will do another 1 or 2 eggs throughout the day as I am really hungry.  I don't think it is a good idea to work your muscles and then not have protein until this evening.  I will let you know how it works for me.

Then, I am going to re-evaluate my intake of carbs.  I am thinking about doing P3-style eating most of the time (I mean 95% of the time) and having some carbs on the most special of occasions.  I just don't think my body deals with carbs well at all.  Lot of protein and veg for me, my friends.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D22 or P4D1 (+1.0 LIW)

I am really struggling with the pain that my disc is causing.  Will have to keep this short, but had to share this wonderful breakfast muffin.  It is great reheated for on the go.  I found them a little salty when I made them with bacon and 1 tsp salt.  So I reduced the amount of salt for you below.  You may want to increase it if you use breakfast sausage though.  I am working on a coconut flour recipe that will be tasty and make my tummy happier, but, boy, these were tasty.

Egg, Bacon, and Cheese Muffins Recipe
makes 12 muffins

1 1/4 C almond flour or other nut meal
4 eggs, beaten
1 C cottage cheese
1 C grated Cheddar (or pick your favorite cheese)
1/4-3/4 C bacon, cooked crispy and chopped into small pieces (or ham, diced or sausage, crumbled)
1/4 C milk
1 tsp baking powder (starch free for P3 or sub baking soda)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Okay, this is tricky, you ready?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together.  Fill buttered, greased or lined muffin tins with batter to the top.  Bake for 25 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  If you greased or buttered your muffin tins be sure to cool them for quite awhile before attempting to remove them from pan. Using a butter knife, gently loosen the muffins from the pan around the edges.  If you line them with muffin cups you have it easy.

Enjoy warm.  These store well in the fridge for a week and freeze nicely too.  Reheat for about 20 seconds on high if refrigerated and about 40-45 seconds if frozen.

Okay, off to ice my neck, shoulder and arm.  MRI has been ordered by doc.  Sigh.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D20 (-0.2 LIW)

Okay.  Now I am below my LIW.  I "lost" 1.4 lbs yesterday.  I'll take it.  I am much happier to be under my LIW than over. 

This also reinforces the idea that I need to limit my intake of artificial sweeteners and almonds.  The morning after days when I don't have those things, or have them in small amounts, I am lower in my weight.  If I have a day of eating those things in excess, I am up on the scale the next morning.  

I have to keep this short and sweet today.  The damaged disc in my neck is really causing me troubles in my right arm.  Started yesterday and got really bad last night.  I was in a lot of pain and I could barely hold my pen to sign my mail-in ballot last night.  I couldn't grasp a door knob with enough force to open the door.  It was bad.  Today is a little better, but that is because I have hardly used that arm today.  Sigh.  I am trying to get in for an emergency appointment with my chiropractor today.  I also have an appointment with my regular doctor to set up an MRI. 

Hope all is well with you!

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D19 (+1.2 LIW)

Geez, the swings in my weight this week are crazy.  I am happy to see that I am still in the safety zone, but for how long?

I was able to resist all candy/sugar temptations last night.  It was surprisingly easy.  Perhaps this round broke my sweet tooth?  Gosh, I hope so.  Makes me nervous to introduce sugar back into my diet.  I did enjoy my P3 okay sugar-substitute goodies, more than I usually allow myself in a day.  I think the most likely culprit to my slow and steady gain is the P3 "safe" sugar subs I have been using.  I have been told (and read) that they can cause inflammation and other sugar-like body responses. I will avoid them as much as I can today, drinks lots of tea and water and see what the scale says tomorrow.

I tried a new recipe from Lauren at Healthy Indulgences.  She came up with a recipe for grain free English Muffins using coconut flour.  They were really simple to make and tasted pretty good.  There was a slight coconut flavor, more like a hint of slightly sweet nuttiness, but I didn't find it off-putting.  I did find them a tad dry this morning, despite the generous amount of fats they contain.  Perhaps they need some water to counter the very high fiber coconut flour?  I also found that the 1/2 tsp garlic powder was a tad too much for me and I like garlic.  They tasted quite strongly of the garlic powder so I will use 1/4 tsp next time.  The recipe below reflects the changes I made this time or will do next time. 


English Muffins
4  large eggs
2 Tbs water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 C  butter, melted
1/3 C coconut flour (Bob's Red Mill preferred)
1/4 tsp starch-free baking powder (2 parts cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda)
1/2-3/4 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beat together eggs, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  While whisking egg mixture, slowly pour in the melted butter.  This will keep the eggs from scrambling as you add the warm/hot butter.  Add the coconut flour, whisking into the batter until there are no lumps.  Let this sit for 5-10 minutes. This should allow the coconut flour fibers to soak up the water and soften them to a nice texture.  Whisk in the baking powder and make sure you have no lumps in your batter.  Stir in the cheese.  Spoon batter into 5 well-buttered ramekins.  Bake for 15 minutes or until starting to brown on top.  Mine still felt slightly "soft" but were beginning to brown when I pulled them out at 15 minutes.  They were completely cooked so don't wait for total firmness.  Let cool completely before cutting into.  For best results, make these the night before you plan on eating them.  Store in the fridge.

I enjoyed mine with a nice "happy" pork breakfast sausage from Beeler's this morning.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D17 (-1.2lbs LIW)

Wahoo!  Just a very quick (and rare on Saturday) post to let you know it worked!  Yipeee!

Happy Halloween!  See you Monday!

Amy

R2P3D16 (+3.0 LIW)

Arrrgh!  It is a steak day for me.  Got to get control of this.

Thanks for all your advice ladies.

HH, found that on a site called hcgcoach.com.  I didn't realize that it was NOT your site.

For good advice go to HH's site: yourhcgcoach.com.

I reread my P and I.  I will stop worrying that I have messed up my hypothalamus reset and just focus on this steak day.  It will be fine.  I will be stopping by the market after work to pick up some grass-fed beef.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D15 (+2.2 LIW)

Oh no!  Up above the safety zone again.  So, I have never done a steak day.  I looked it up and found this on HCG Coach:

It is absolutely imperative that the Steak Day be done IMMEDIATELY the day the 2 lb limit is breached. If this is not done, it is counterproductive to do a Steak Day the next day, or to do 2 in a row, as this will skew the hypothalamus' function again so that it will slow metabolism and increase cravings. The reason Steak Day works is that more calories were eaten the day prior and the body can have the reduced calories and respond correctly the very next day. But when a Steak Day follows a day that did not include additional calories, it will not respond correctly.

So, according to this, I have messed up.  I should have done this a couple of days ago when I first popped up to more than 2 lbs over LIW.  And now I am over again and still didn't do it right.  I really need to get to the store and stock up on steaks. 

So, what do you think?  Should I use the weight I am tomorrow as my new LIW/LDW as this suggests:
When the Steak Day is missed for the correct day, the correct procedure is to take one's weight on the following day as the new LDW (Last Dose Weight), and then proceed from there to do the Steak Day correction if the weight exceeds 2 lbs above this new LDW.

Or should I follow this:
"If the Steak Day is missed for the correct day or postponed to the next day, dieters need to follow several days of strict dieting in order to correct the situation."  Then do I use my original LIW? 

Help!!  I want to normalize and keep my weight off until I do another round in January.

What do you recommend that I do?  What do you do?

Thanks for the help, enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D15 (+1.8lbs LIW)

Back in the safety zone!  Steak day averted for now.  Whew!

I just ate nice and clean yesterday and had no almonds.  I only had one fruit and that was in my green smoothie in the morning.  I am hoping to get a little more off so I have some wiggle room.  More clean and almond free for me today, but I will have this pear that is perfectly ripe and staring at me.

Okay, a couple recipes.  I like to enjoy these things together.  The crackers are made with almond flour so I have had to set these aside.  I will work on an alternative nut flour or coconut flour recipe.  I think I can do almonds, but I will have to keep it to one serving a day.  Darn it.  I will wait to test that theory until the GI issues and the weight is back down to more comfortable levels.


Almond Flour Saltines
 2 C blanched almond flour (this doesn't work as well if not blanched, but still good)
1/2 tsp salt (I like fine grind sea salt myself)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbs oil of choice (I use grape seed a lot, but could do olive, coconut or even butter)
large grain salt to sprinkle on top (again, sea salt, but course grind this time)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.  This breaks up any lumps in your almond flour and mixes the 2 ingredients well.  Add egg and oil and blend until combined.  Your dough will easily form a ball at this point.  Place dough ball on silpat mat or a parchment paper (I have used plastic wrap or waxed paper in a pinch, but don't bake with these!).  Using a sheet of parchment (or whatever) to cover the dough ball and roll it out nice and thin.  Go for as thin as you can but still be able to fit on a cookie sheet.  I fine I have to do a little dough remodeling if I go off the edges.  That's okay, this is a very forgiving dough.  I like to score the dough with a knife or pizza cutter before I bake; makes it super easy to break the crackers apart after they are done baking.  Sprinkle the coarse salt over the top of the crackers just before you put them in the oven.  Bake for about 15 min.  Check them to be certain they are lightly browned.  You want them crunchy, but not burnt.  The longer you can bake them without burning them, the crunchier they will be.  Allow the crackers to cool and then break them apart.  Store in a tightly sealed container to keep them from getting stale. 

These are easily adaptable.  You can add herbs and spices to the mix and on top.  Experiment and enjoy. 

Or have them with this awesome dip I adapted from Joyful Abode.


A-Freaking-Mazing Artichoke Dip
8 oz cream cheese, softened (either at room temp or in the microwave)
1/3 C sour cream
1/4 C mayonnaise
1 C chopped spinach (fresh or 3/4 C frozen, thawed and drained is fine)
2 small cans or jars of artichoke hearts, chopped (you want the plain old, non-marinated kind)
1/2 tsp garlic salt (or more depending upon your taste)
1/2-1 tsp chili powder (or if you want it spicy hot, add 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne)
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (cheddar is good too), plus more to sprinkle on top

Mix all ingredients in a baking dish, sprinkle some cheese on top.  Broil until cheese is brown and dip is bubbly on the sides.  Try to control yourself.  This is good.

Enjoy the day!
Amy

R2P3D14 (+3.0 LIW)

Grrrr!  Not sure what happened this weekend, but I went from almost 2 lbs under LIW on Friday to 3 lbs over LIW today.  I should do a steak day today, but I am not prepared.  I will do a lot of clean eating and drink a lot of fluids and see if that takes care of it.  If not, a steak day is in my future.

There may be a couple of things contributing to this gain.  At the end of last week I started weaning myself off of the synthetic thyroid that I use to supplement my regular NatureThroid prescription when I am doing Phase 2.   I am not feeling my usual cold hands/feet symptoms of low thryoid, but have noticed more hair in the drain and then there is this gain....

I am also thinking that I have developed an intolerance to almonds.  My tummy and intestines have not been happy lately.  Not good for a gluten free, low-carb girl.  I use almonds or almond flour in so many things.  I had a rough gut transition from P2 to P3 and wondered if it was the almonds.  I went for 3 days without an almond product and felt better.  But then I read about others having a hard time with the P2 to P3 transition and thought I had wrongly accused the poor nut.  But now I am having lots of GI issues and can't help but blame that little nut.  That could be causing some inflammation, but probably not 3 lbs worth. Sigh.

So, how about a recipe?  This one may not be new for most of you, but I am going to post it.   Since I am staying off of almonds, this is a life saver for me.  It is the glorious and time proven Oopsie Roll!  I love these things in the morning with a sausage on top.  Delish!  They also work well as a bread or roll substitute (you want to make sure you set them out to dry out though).  So, without further ado...

Oopsie Rolls
3 large eggs, separated
pinch of cream of tartar
3 oz cream cheese or cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Using a mixer (I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer), whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  Carefully transfer the now fluffy whites to a large bowl.  In the dirty mixer bowl combine the yolks and your cheese product of choice.  I use cream cheese.  Some people say it should be firm, but I have used it firm and softened and things turned out virtually the same. 
Add the yolk mixture to the fluffy whites.  Using a spatula, gently fold the yolk mixture into the whites until there are no streaks.  Careful here, don't deflate your whites too much, hence the folding.
Spray a cookie sheet or line with a silpat mat or parchment paper (I think either liner works best).  Spoon the mixture onto the cookie sheet, forming 6 mounds.  Slightly flatten each mound; not too much though, the oven evens things out pretty well.  Bake for 25 minutes, until just slightly browned on top.  Maybe golden is a better description.  Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a bakers rack to cool further.  I will usually leave mine on the rack to cool/dry for a few hours.  Some people leave them out overnight.
Storing:  I usually store mine in either a large zip bag with parchment between each roll or in a large tupperware-style container (again, use the parchment between each roll) in the refrigerator.  They can also be frozen.  I do recommend that before you use them you get them out and allow them to warm up/defrost and dry out a little.  Otherwise, they can be sticky.  I find that if I pop them in my toaster on the lightest setting and stay close, this heat them up and dries the outside quickly and I can use them right away. 
Options:  while plain works for most things, you may want to alter these, depending upon their intended use.  Add a little herbs and spices to the yolk mixture for savory rolls.  Dry mustard and dill are great additions, but pepper (use white if you don't want little flecks, but I don't really care and use black) and onion powder is also a good choice.  If you want to use these for sweet treats (as mini tart bases....) add a small amount of stevia or other P3 sweetener to the yolk mixture.

If you make these please share how you use them and how you alter them.  They have so many uses it would be nice to share your brilliant ideas with everyone else.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P3D10 (-1.6 LIW)

WAAAHHHHHH?!?  Don't know why I was so low this morning.  Not complaining, just wondering... and enjoying!

Okay, survived all the chaos of yesterday and this morning.  I am still busy, just not feeling as stressed as yesterday.  Will only be able to post one recipe today as work projects are screaming at me. 

So, this recipe is for some AMAZING P3 candy bars.  I call them candy bars 'cause they are just that good.  In fact, they are so good they are dangerous,  so consider yourself warned.  He he.  It will take a lot of control to eat one bar.  I got the original recipe from the lovely Lauren at Healthy Indulgences.   She has some fantastic low-carb and grain free recipes.  She isn't posting much these days because school takes up most of her time, but she has archives of great recipes you might enjoy.  I did end up using the 1/2 tsp honey cause it seemed like a negligible amount carb-wise (about 3 carbs to the whole recipe).  You could always sub for more P3 sweetener of your choice. 

Anyway, I present to you:

THE Awesome Bars 
1/2 cup cashews, toasted
1/2 cup plus two tablespoons pepitas, toasted
1/4 cup sesame seeds (could also use golden flax seeds)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (could also use any other nut butter)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon raw honey
1/8-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons erythritol
1/8 teaspoon pure stevia extract (I use NuNaturals Clear Stevia drops)

 
Easy Chocolate Ganache Topping
4 squares of 100% cacao chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (could also use coconut oil or non-hydrogenated palm oil shortening)
1 tablespoon erythritol
1/4-1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract
1 teaspoon organic heavy cream (or full fat coconut milk)

Preparation:
For Snack Bars:Toast coconut and nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat or the toaster oven, until slightly browned.   I started out doing each kind of nut and seed separately, but saw that this was going to take more time than I had.  I ended up tossing all the nuts, seed and coconut flakes into the pan at once.  I kept a constant vigil and stirred constantly cause nuts go from toasted to burnt in a flash.

Pulse nut and seed mixture in a food processor just until nuts are chopped.   I had quite a few chunks remaining and that is okay, you aren't trying to make nut butter here.  Melt coconut oil and nut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or until just melted.  Stir until smooth.  Add vanilla extract, honey, erythritol, stevia, and sea salt, stirring until all is dissolved and incorporated.  Fold into nut mixture.  Press into an 8 by 4 pan with a spatula.  I used a loaf pan.  Quick set in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.  

During last 5 min of firming process, mix up ganache.  Melt butter (or whatever you decided to use) and chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds or so.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Stir in cream, erythritol, and stevia, until mixture is completely dissolved and blended.  Check for sweetness and add more Stevia, if necessary.  Spread over cooled bars immediately and put back into freezer until chocolate layer is solid.  Cut into 6 bars.  Store in the refrigerator, covered with a paper towel and plastic wrap.




Try not to eat more than 2 in on setting.  I dare you.  

Seriously: enjoy,
Amy

R2P3D9 (+0.6 LIW)

Weight is holding steady, wish I could say as much for my brain and stress level.

I am swamped at work, at home, at my kids' schools where I do volunteer stuff.  You name it, there is not a part of my life that isn't pulling me in 20 different directions.  Ahhhh!  I don't even have time to check up on all my favorite HCG buddies and other bloggers.  Love to you all.

So, I have more recipes I really want to share with you, but just don't have time today. 

I hope you understand. 

Amy

R2P3D7 (+0.2 LIW)

Wowzers, really loving how steady I am holding this time!   And I am loving my P3 food choices.

Terribly busy at work today and life outside of work is crazy too.  Feel like I am juggling too many balls and dropping some of them.  Yikes.  Need to get this stress under control or I may not see my weight stay steady.

Got today's recipe from Babyfro at Living Without Wheat.  I read it and it sounded fabulous as I haven't been able to eat or use Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup since being diagnosed with Celiac.  The bonus is that it is totally P3 friendly.  So now, I bring it to you:

Creamy Mushroom Soup

• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 12 ounces button mushrooms (I used cremini)
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 sprig of flat parsley
• Salt and pepper

In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.

After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen? I used my Vitamix and it worked perfectly.  Made the soup so creamy, thick and smooth.

When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. 

I admit I added a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream before I even tasted it. I am not sure that this was necessary and think that with all the butter being emulsified in the blender it would have been creamy enough on its own.  

This was so delicious, decadent and filling on its own.  I also used some in a batch of stroganoff that I made and served over cauliflower rice.   My mom, then I, used to make it with the canned stuff.  This was honestly the best batch of stroganoff I have had since my diagnosis.  It was comfort food at its finest all because of a homemade batch of creamy mushroom soup.

Enjoy,

Amy

R2P3D6 (+1.0 LIW)

Not bad, not bad.  1 lb over last injection weight.  I am happy with that.

Sorry about the no post on Friday.  I was out of town having a crafty day with a girlfriend.  I brought P3 snacks, ate out and kept my weight in range.  Wahoo! 

Here are my promised measurements from round 2:
Arm, 2" above elbow: lost .75 inches
Waist, 2" above navel: lost 3.0 inches
Hips, 2" below navel: lost 6.25 inches!!!

That last one was really hard to measure this time and may be a bit off.  Now that my waist is smaller, I am curvier and the darned tape wouldn't stay in place.  LOL.  Now I know why I need new clothes.

Here is another yummy recipe.  I am sure you have heard of making mock-mashed potatoes with cauliflower.  I actually made a batch a few years back, but I didn't like it.  I decided I had to conquer this one.  I think I did.  My husband liked the results, but my kids did not.  In my defense, the 8 year old doesn't like any potato products so no surprise she didn't like Fauxtatoes.  And my 3 year old liked the first few bites (he kept calling it hummus), but didn't want much more.  Well, he is 3 and he is fickle.  LOL.

I wanted these to be creamy and a little tangy.  I really didn't want to taste the cauliflower.  I didn't measure exactly, but I approximated my amounts below.  Keep in mind that heads of cauliflower vary greatly in their sizes, so you may need more or less of the ingredients listed below.  


Deluxe Fauxtatoes
1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks and steamed until fork tender
3-4 oz cream cheese
1 Tbs butter
2 oz cheese (I used cream Havarti, but it would be good with cheddar too)
3 Tbs chopped scallions
salt and pepper to taste

Place steamed cauliflower and next 4 ingredients in food processor and process until smooth and creamy.  Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.  Makes 4-6 servings.

These were done long before our chicken, but they reheated well in the microwave.

Enjoy!
Amy

R2P3D2 (+1.6 LIW)

Ahhh!  Wow, that shot up fast.  But it is still within the limits...barely.  I think I know what's up (or I am making lots of excuses...)

-TOM, if it is coming, is due on Sunday.  I never know if I will have one 'cause I use the Mirena IUD and almost never have one.  About the only time I have one is on HCG.  I could have one since I am only barely off the HCG.
- I volunteered at an event last night that had me on my feet in a very hot room for 4 hours straight.  Fool that I was, I had a sweater on that I couldn't take off.   I drank a lot of water, but never needed to pee.  Bad sign.  I drank more when I got home, but could never satisfy my thirst.
- I ate when I got home and it was quite a bit too late to be eating.  And I ate a full-on meal despite the fact that I had dinner before my volunteer shift and snacks during.  All of it was P3 okay foods.  Then I went to bed with all that food in my gullet.  Not good.

Okay, so this could be some timing issues and some bad choices.  I am trying good choices today.  I am eating when I am hungry and stopping when I am satisfied.  I can save any leftovers for a snack, if needed.

Let's hope I see a stabilization tomorrow or I am going to have to do a steak day already.

My neck is a bit better today and the pain in manageable.  I do see a chiropractor for my neck and ironically I had just seen him Tues afternoon.  Then I went home and wrestled with my kids on the floor.  I think I reversed anything my Chiro had done.  

And now for a recipe; Onion Cheddar Biscuits.  I got this one from Comfy Belly.  I modified it ever so slightly out of necessity.  Her original called for a tablespoon of honey which I removed and 1/4 C of fresh onion, chopped, which I didn't have.  I used dried, mince onion flakes as a sub.  I also added 1 Tbs of water to help accommodate the dry onions.  She also recommended oiling the tops, but I found that a bit excessive considering how much fat (good fat) is already in these babies.   And next time I don't think I will put the baking dish of water in the oven with the biscuits.  I think the nature of the ingredients will give these bad boys a nice crunchy crust anyway. 

These remind me of those evil cheddar garlic biscuits that are served at Red Lobster.  I LOVED those things until I found out they were killing me.  I made these on Tuesday night in anticipation of P3.  I served them with my kids' dinner.  My 3 year old said, "no thank you" but my 8 year old loved them.  She could only do half though.  No wonder, they are pretty rich.  When my hubby came home later that evening he heated on up in the toaster oven and gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Grain Free Onion Cheddar Biscuits

• 1 1/2 cups of almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of low carb baking powder (see below)
• 1 1/2 Tbs dried, minced onion or onion flakes or 1/4 C fresh onion, minced.
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons of softened butter
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 330 degrees F.  Place a baking dish, with water in it, at the bottom of the oven to create a crunchy crust on the biscuits.  Combine all the dry ingredients and blend well.  Whisk all the wet ingredients until frothy (has bubbles), and then combine it with the dry mixture.  Blend the dough mixture well and allow to sit for 5 mine (to reconstitute the dry onion flakes).  Spoon dough out into 6 balls on a stick-free or lined baking sheet. I use a stick-free backing mat or parchment paper.  Bake for 15 minutes, and then lower the heat to 300 degrees F and bake for another 15 minutes.  Check after 5-10 minutes. Mine were done early.

These can be stored in the refrigerator and warmed up later. Reheat at 300 degrees F for about 6 minutes.

Low carb baking powder can be made in small batches by combining 2 parts cream of tartar with 1 part baking soda.  Without the cornstarch this will start to cake in a week or so.  You can always just use straight baking soda as a low carb sub.

Once I had a chance to try these I loved them.  They were delightful as prepared, but I will make a couple of additional changes next time.   They were nice and moist, but pretty oily.  I am going to try these without the addition of the butter.  If they need more moisture I will add more water or maybe an egg.  They were a little loose, so I am more likely to try adding an egg next time.  I would also like to try them with fresh onion and maybe a little garlic.

Here's to stability!
Enjoy,
Amy

R2P3D1, (-0.4 LIW)

Short one today.  I am in a lot of pain.  One of my cervical discs (in my neck) is having problems.  Hurts to do anything with my right arm.

Yeah! P3.  Enjoyed the heck out of my breakfast of sausage, coconut flour waffle and almond butter.  Even had coffee with half and half again!  Yumm!

Sorry, no recipe today. 

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D30!!!

-0.6 from LIW

Yeah!  Last day of VLCD!  This round has been great.  I am so happy I did it on my own (well, without a doctor and the expenses, but I had my web buddies!).  This round was easier for me.  I wasn't as hungry, I anticipated the thyroid issue and my stalls weren't too bad.

I haven't had time to do my measurements, but it is high on my list this evening.  I took them after 2 weeks and will post before, 2 weeks and end of P2 measurements ASAP.  I might even do some before and after pics, but that can be tricky considering I use my work computer to post my entries. 

I do want to mention something that has been a huge help to me on both rounds.  Flavored water.  Not carbonated or artificially sweetened, preserved or flavored water.  Water that has either mint or fruit essence in it to give it the slightest flavor.  I have been living on Hint and Metromint water.  I have one  everyday.  It is a nice change from the green tea and plan water.  If you ever see some in your local store, you really out to give it a try. 

I have moved all of my round 2 daily stats here so they don't continue to clutter my side bar.
Round 2 daily check-in:
VLCD1: +3.0 (loading weight)
VLCD2: -4.4 (bye-bye loading weight!)
VLCD3: -1.8
VLCD4: -0.8
VLCD5: -1.2
VLCD6: -2.4!!!!
VLCD7: +0.4 (TOM)
VLCD8: -0.8 (TOM)
VLCD9:-1.2 (TOM)
VLCD10: -0.8 (TOM, go away)
VLCD11: -2.0!!
VLCD15: -1.0 (WTH?)
VLCD16: -0.9
VLCD17: -0.9
VLCD18: -1.2
VLCD19: +0.4 (Hmmph!)
VLCD22: -2.0
VLCD23: -0.4
VLCD24: +0.2 (grrrr)
VLCD25: -1.4 lbs (Wahooo!)
VLCD26: -1.4 lbs
LIW: -21 lbs (Fabulous!!)
VLCD29: -1.2 lbs, over the weekend

R2P2D29

Big and busy weekend.  Lost another 1.2 lbs over the weekend!  Did my last injection on Sunday.  My weight was down 21.3 lbs from my pre-load, starting weight.  That's in just 4 weeks (avg 0.76 lbs/day).  I am simply amazed and a little bit proud.  :)

The visit with my parents went well.  My mom was in complete awe of my transformation.  They last time they saw me was at the beginning of this round when I was loading.  There has been quite a change in me since then. 

I ended up telling them all about the protocol and they were totally cool with it.  In fact, it turns out that my mom used to get HCG shots for weight loss when I was a little kid!  She was never instructed to restrict her calories and she still lost a lot of weight.  What a surprise.  Makes me laugh at how worried I was about telling them.  They were 100% supportive and kept complimenting me on my hard work.  I heart my mom and dad!

Since my weekdays/nights are scheduled to the minute, I decided to stock up on P3 supplies on Sunday.  That was an expensive bill, especially when compared to how small the grocery bill is while on VLCD!  LOL. 

I came home a cooked and baked all afternoon.  I now have P3 munchies, low-carb granola, coco-crack covered almonds, oopsie rolls and some P3 friendly waffles, both sweet and savor, for making all kinds of quick meals with.  It was fun to do all that prep.  I feel prepared and one step closer to P3.  I decided not to make those almond butter pumpkin brownies that Jen wrote about until I am really on P3.  I did end up sampling most of my products which may have contributed to my losing only 0.4 lbs this morning.  Oh well, at least I know that what I made is tasty.  I'll start sharing those recipes on Wednesday, when I can officially be on P3 and will be eating them, not just taking a taste (or two).

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D26

Another 1.4 lbs down!  *does the happy dance*  I was ecstatic when I stepped on the scale and saw those results today. 

Of course I am feeling up and positive today with those results!  I am so glad too, cause, boy oh boy was temptation strong yesterday.  I was a little hungry, but a lot just wanting things.  Nuts, avocado, cheese...fatty stuff I can't have until next Wednesday.  Didn't do it, but WANTED to so badly.  Hang in there girl.  Results like the last 2 days will get me through any cravings.

The weekend will present a couple of challenges called, my parents.  I haven't told them about HCG, not last round and not this round.  I don't know why.  I tell most other people.  Maybe because I am afraid of them not believing in it.  Or worry they will watch me like a hawk after so they can use any gains as proof I shouldn't do it.  They aren't like that tho... They know I am an analytical scientist (redundant, I know) and that I thoroughly research anything like this.  And they usually take the info I give them and accept my choices. 

But, I still haven't told them.  They were here for loading weekend and didn't say much about all the snacks and food choices (they had their fair share too).  This weekend will be such a contrast to loading.  I have proposed a crab feed.  I am hoping they will be so busy cleaning their crab that they won't notice that I am not having butter or cocktail sauce with mine.  And that I am not having bread or rice and just lettuce for my "salad".  Weirder still will be breakfast when we go out and I order just a couple of scrambled eggs, dry and no bacon.  They know my love of bacon.  They might get suspicious.  Maybe not, I will just tell them I am watching what I eat...

Have you ever felt the need to keep HCG a secret from someone?  If so, did you ever have to eat and spend a weekend with them?  How did you do it?

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D25

Down 1.4 lbs!  That's more like it!

I think Helderheid was right, it was a stall.  I looked back at my posts from my first round and I stalled around this time.  Perhaps I am back on track and can lose a few more pounds before I am finished with this round.  It always surprises me how much I am motivated by the movement in the scale.  I am proud that I didn't throw up my hands and give up.  I stayed true to program and things are good.

I drew up my last injections last night.  I can't believe my last one will be Sunday.  Then 72 more hours of VLCD and then on to P3!  I am so excited.  I already have all of our dinners planned out and will share lots of new P3 recipes with you.

I want to thank everyone that has given me the love to get through the stalls and pitfalls.  The ladies listed below have been particularly supportive of me this round.  They are amazing HCG resources and you should visit them for more HCG inspiration:

Helderheid at Journey to Me Via HCG
Lis at Random Thoughts and HCG
Lavender Diva at HCG & Me on the road to find out
Autumn Rose at Autumn's Rosier Days

I know there are more HCG dieters that follow me and cheer me on behind the scenes and I want to thank them too!

There are still more HCGers out there who can help too.  Make sure you look them up.  Some of them are my followers (to the right0>

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D24

Dang it!  Up 0.2 lbs!  Combined with my meager loss yesterday I am starting to get frustrated.

I got great encouragement the last couple of days from some much admired HCG peeps.  Thanks ladies!

So, I am going to look at the big picture to talk myself of of the ledge:
-My new clothes are not plus-sized and my hubby LOVES them.
-I have lost 16.8 lbs this round in less then 4 weeks.  This includes the loading gain.
-I have lost inches (sorry, haven't posted those).
-I have lost 3.0 lbs in the last week. 

Breath, stay the course, you can do this!

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D23

Well, it was a loss.  Not a very exciting loss, but a loss of 0.4 lbs.

Last week I bought some new clothes.  I know it may have been a little early as I have just over a week of VLCD left to go.  It was so exciting to see my newly reshaped body in clothing.  I started in the plus-sized section, but quickly realized that there was very little in there that fit my body.  That is SO very exciting!  I would like to say that I savored looking at all the racks in the "regular" sections, but time was not my friend.  I had a rare, child-free afternoon that didn't leave much time to linger.  So I cruised through my new clothing section (and it is huge compared to the plus-sized section).  I was able to find several things: a jacket, a couple of sweaters and several shirts/blouses.  All were on sale too.  Bonus.

I came home and did a fashion show for my family.  It was all my husband could do to stay on the couch and not jump up and ravish me.  Needless to say, he loves the new clothes.  I am waiting to wear most of them until I am finished with P2.  I don't think I will lose enough more weight for them to be too big, but you just never know.  I am leaving their tags on and saving receipts, just in case.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D22

Lost 2.0 lbs over the weekend.  That works. 

It was quite a weekend too.  Stared off with one of my favorite activities, scrapping/crafting with my friends.  We stay up late and craft into the night (well, it is late for us mommies of young kids).  We usually have amazing snacks that are usually on the healthy side.  It is hard to stay up that late and not snack.  This makes it tricky on HCG, but I usually save my fruit to eat late.  And I am thankful for my friends who tone down their snacks for me while I am in P2.  Love you guys!

Saturday was a BIG football game.  It was a blast.  My in-laws came down to watch our kids and DH and I got to go tailgating and attend the game together!  I had great plans.  I packed my chicken breast and cucumbers to eat at the game, but forgot my apple.  Sigh.  Then we got to our first tailgater.  It was at a restaurant/bar right near the stadium and we were visiting the owner.  It was high pressure to have some Jaeger shots (on the house) but I resisted that high-sugar, cough syrupy stuff.  Instead I caved and had a shot of Grey Goose.  Okay, I eventually had 2.  Boy oh boy!  They hit me hard.  I felt drunk for hours.  I know I shouldn't have had those shots, but the pressure to do them was intense and I really caved cause it sounded fun.  I was also hoping the couple miles of walking to and from the stadium would help (it did).  At our next tailgater the pressure to eat was just as intense.  I managed to push away most of what was offered due to my wheat allergy, but still ended up with food on my plate.  I ate the nectarine and used that as a sub for the apple I forgot.  And my DH was very sweet and slowly slipped all the other food off of my plate.  People get SO sensitive if you won't eat their food!  We opted to skip revisiting these tailgaters after the game; too dangerous!

My in-laws stayed the night which meant breakfast out the next morning.  I decided to change up my HCG food routine.  I swapped the MR shake with my lunch protein so that I could have eggs at the restaurant for breakfast.  They accommodated my request for no added fats to my eggs, but the best I could do was 2 scrambled eggs (not the 1 egg + 3 whites that I should have done).  No one questioned or pressured me since my Mother in-law has bizarre eating habits. 

Lots of hurdles, many successes and only minor setbacks.  Considering the weekend and the potential pitfalls I am pretty happy with how I did.

Hope you had a good weekend too.  I know a lot of HCGers that I adore were loading and have just started another round of VLCD.  Good luck to you all!  I'll be with you for another week.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D19

+ 0.4lbs.  Hmmmph! 

What the heck?  TOM shouldn't be coming.  Let's over-analyze this for a minute, shall we?

Lack of loss/gain could be from...
not drinking enough fluids
heavy workout in pilates yesterday and the resulting inflammation
thyroid being wonky
the beef I roasted last night was not as lean I had thought
HCG resistance?? Doubt it (only 2nd round, lots of time between, only in 3rd week...)

I hate the small losses and I really hate the gains.  It make this extreme deprivation harder.  I mean, I just lose some motivation.  Don't worry, I am not going to run out and cheat, it's just that I have less enthusiasm.  And when I am only doing this for 4 weeks, I have less time to make up for these less productive days. 

Grrr.

On the up side, I did plan out my foods for the last part of P2 and I even made all my dinner plans for P3.  I am prepared!  Now I just need to compile the shopping lists and I am good to go.

Big football game with some tailgaters tomorrow.  I have a plan and I should be able to stick to it.

Go Ducks!

Enjoy the Day,
Amy

R2P2D18

Lost 1.2 lbs!

Was a pretty tame day yesterday.  Ate what I was supposed to.  Didn't eat what I wasn't.  Blah, blah, blah.  I even tortured myself by looking at some new cookbooks.  I love reading cookbooks, but dang, that is hard on a Phase 2 HCG girl.

I know that I am growing weary of the limited choices on this diet.  I did last time too.  You see, I am a novelty seeker.  I get tired of repetition very quickly.  I am like this in all aspects of my life, not just food.  I usually don't re-read books, I don't re-see movies, I don't watch reruns on TV.  I'm just funny that way.  Sigh. 

I am glad I am just doing 4 weeks this time cause I have less than 2 weeks left.  My last shot will be Sunday, the 10th.   Then the 72 hours of no shots but staying on the VLCD and then I am in P3 on Oct 13th!  I am SOOOO excited!  I have tons of new recipes to try and share with you for P3. 

Anyhoo, back to work, work, work!

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D17

Another 0.9 lost.  Inching down the scale.  I am basically back to my first round LIW.

My presentation that had me SO stressed out the last few days went really well.  I am so glad to have that done and out of the way.

Last night I went out with a friend and made good choices.  I am so proud.  We ate at my favorite burger place and I had the patty wrapped in lots of lettuce with some mustard.  The burger is so good there that I am totally satisfied with it eating it that way.  Actually, I am used to eating their burgers wrapped in lettuce cause I can't eat their wheaty buns due to my Celiac disease.

Anyway, kept it to the burger (no fries, not even 1, no shake, etc).  We had time to kill before our movie so we played around and tried on clothes.  I was so excited to be trying on clothes outside the Plus-section and have them fit.  I cannot wait to go clothes shopping in a few weeks.  I have zero fall and winter clothing that fits.  And now my choices will be even greater.

The movie was awesome.  We saw "Easy A" and it was so good.  I had my doubts walking into it, but I came out saying I loved it and want to own it.  It was very much like all the John Hughes movies I loved when I was in High School and College.

And I didn't have ANY popcorn.  It was $1 popcorn night too.  Thanks to my buddy Kim for not getting any popcorn either.  She waited until the end of the movie and got some to take home to her hubby.

I am amazed at my will power when I am doing this program.  I think part of it is being totally off carbs.  I guess they really affect me more than I know.  Once I start eating them I go nuts and eat them all the time.  And not just carbs, I seem to lose all perspective on other foods too.  I really need to watch myself once I get back to P4.

Okay, tooted my horn enough. 

Enjoy the day!
Amy

R2P2D16

Okay, quick post.  I have a HUGE presentation at work today and I have to get back to prepping for that.

Lost 0.9 lbs yesterday.  Not bad, but miss those over 1 lb losses.  Funny how this program changes your perspective.  I remember when I was doing Weight Watchers, I would be thrilled with a 1-2 lb loss in a week.  A week!  Now I am bummed if I have less than 1 lb in a day. 

Last thing.  I have to toot my own horn.  Toooooot!  Despite being major stressed out about this presentation, I have not strayed from the program.  Oh, I have wanted to.  I was thinking about all kinds of carbs and fats yesterday (my comfort foods).  But I didn't do it.  That took some mental energy, let me tell you!

Okay, back to work.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D15

Ugh.  I have been away from home.  I only lost 1.0 lbs since I last posted 3 days ago.  What the heck??

While I didn't have a scale (body or food scale) I did follow program pretty closely.  I say pretty closely because I had 1 (one!) latte made with coconut milk and sweetened with Stevia.  I indulged in this during a similar weekend away during the last round and it had no effect.  Apparently it did this time.  I also had to guesstimate my food portions.  Could have been a bit off here.  Whatever.  At least I didn't gain any weight.

And today, well, I feel like crap.  I am exhausted and I can't be.  I have a big presentation, representing my whole work group, in front of my boss (the big boss, not just a supervisor) tomorrow.  I am still working on the damned presentation and all I really want to do is lay down and sleep.

Okay, will make copious amounts of tea and just get this done.

I have to.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D11

I could not believe it when I hopped on the scale today and saw a 2.0 pound loss!  This diet continues to amaze and motivate me.

Yesterday could have been challenging, but I made it work.  I had some yummy fresh crab and cucumbers for lunch.  That was no problem.  It was the afternoon that was tricky.  My daughter was having a short play date and they asked me to make them popcorn.  Popcorn!  It is one of my weaknesses.  I knew if I popped some I would have a very hard time resisting it.  I also knew that I wouldn't be able to give her a good reason why I couldn't pop it if I refused.  (She is 8, she asks why for every answer I give her).  So, I lied (okay lying isn't great, but it was really a white lie to save myself for a good reason).   I said we didn't have any and then I proceeded to run into the kitchen and hide it.  Problem solved.  They had other things that don't set me off down the crazy path.

We took her friend home and she went to her dance class.  I had an hour to kill and thought I would get some tea and have my apple snack.  Then it occurred to me that by the time DD was out of dance class and I got her home, I would have to leave again right away in order to make it on time to her school for curriculum night.  No time to eat!  I knew I couldn't wait until I got home so I made a quick adjustment to my schedule.  I saved my apple and instead had dinner a little early.  At a great local burger place I got a patty wrapped in a huge lettuce leaf and some extra lettuce.  Served with some mustard, it was perfect!

I was able to get through curriculum night easily and had my apple after the kids went to bed. 

Yay me!

Hope you find similar ways to stick with your HCG protocol despite your busy schedules.

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D10

Another 0.8 lbs down. I'll take it!

Had a pretty good day yesterday. My pilates class was pretty intense. I sweat a lot more when I am on HCG. I try to bring extra water to compensate, but forgot yesterday. Felt like I was trying to catch up on my hydration for most of the day.

I followed the protocol. We had a nice grilled white fish seasoned with some onion salt and pepper. The fam gobbled it up. I enjoyed a nice side dish of cherry toms, basil, a little crushed, fresh garlic, a splash of vinegar and salt and pepper. This is a great time of year to do HCG because of the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies I can get from my local farmer's market.

I was really tired in the evening, but that is probably from the pilates. I have decided that I am not going to walk the 5k in the Race for the Cure on 10/10/10. I will still be in P2. 3.2 miles seems really ambitious when 1.5 on my treadmill wears me out. I will still do my walking a few times a week, just not train.

Okay, gotta work!

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D9

Lost another 1.2 lbs! Love it!

Had a rough night last night. My daughter had her ballet class scheduled from 5:15-6:30. My husband was at a board meeting so I was on my own. I had planned to take the kids to the fisherman's market and I would have some crab. The problems started when her class ran over until 7:00! That is way late for us to eat dinner; both me and my 3 year old were wrecked. My daughter was ravenous.

We stuck with the plan and went to the Fisherman's Market. I ordered the crab dinner which came with salad and chowder. Got the kids some stuff too. Fear not, I was not even tempted by the chowder (it has gluten and I cannot do that). But my salad sucked. The tomatoes, if you can call them that, were white so they were out. The cucumbers were bitter, so no go. And the lettuce was totally unappealing. I shelled my crab and ate what I thought was a portion. I brought all the rest home to save in HCG okay portions.

But, I was still very hungry and I just couldn't bring myself to do the right thing and eat some veggies. I ate, not 1, but 2, low-fat cheese sticks. Yikes! Sort of helped, but I was off for the rest of the night. Didn't eat anymore, but felt cranky and just off. Sigh.

I was very glad to see a loss this morning. Shouldn't run into anymore nights like that for this round. Phew!

Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D8

Quite a weekend, let me tell you! Net loss of 2.8 lbs. Woot! Tweet! Wahoo!

Woke up Sat morning to a very nice loss (2.4lbs!). Faced a home football game with a tailgater and I stayed on program! Woot! Yay me! It was tricky. Had to walk a couple of miles both to and from the stadium. Was pretty shaky on the way there but did great on the way back. Ate my apple at the game. When I got home from the game I ate dinner. I wasn't hungry the rest of the night and I had a ton of energy. I couldn't believe it.

Then I woke up Sunday morning to a small gain (+.4). I was very sad, but assumed it was all the walking. Inflammation?? No, TOM. It arrived about an hour after I weighed/injected. Now the gain makes sense. Had a ton of energy and very little hunger all day. Loving it! I think overall I am doing better this round.

And you know what? I only had those hypothyroid symptoms that one day. Have been fine every other day so I haven't started my supplemental T3.

Wow, I am doing great!

Hope you are too!
Enjoy the day,
Amy

R2P2D5

Down another 1.2lbs. Yay!

Even though this is my second round I am still delighted and amazed at how well this works. I mean, yes, you could lose this kind of weight by eating only 500 calories a day, but it would be HELL. I can't even imagine doing it without the hormone helping my body digest the fat for the energy it needs on such a low call program. You would also lose A TON of lean muscle mass on 500 cals without HCG. It would be crazy!

Had a pretty good day yesterday. Hunger wasn't too bad in the evening. It was there, just not as overwhelming as it has been. Good.

Bad news is that I think my thyroid is already having issues. Yesterday my hands were so icy cold. Nothing I did warmed them up. Nothing, that is, until I took my thyroid in the afternoon and about 40 mins later they miraculously warmed up. I had thyroid resistance issues last time so I am prepared for it this round. Basically what happens in my body is that my thyroid system is not fooled by the HCG. For some reason it doesn't see the extra fat release as operation calories. All it sees it that I am ingesting around 500 calories. So it goes it to survival hyper-drive and starts cranking out thyroid hormone blockers called reverse T3. The solution for me is to take my normal thyroid meds and supplement them with synthetic T3 meds.

In my last round I didn't start the extra thyroid until about week 3. I do not know if this is because I ignored the symptoms longer last time (chalking it up to the diet's side effects) or if it is just hitting me earlier this round. Doesn't really matter cause I have the meds I need and I will start taking them.

Anyone else out there with a thyroid change while on HCG protocol? My doc said about 25% of his patients have issues, but I want to know if you independent HCGers have had these symptoms: cold hands and feet, general coldness that is hard to shake, increased hair loss, dry skin and fatigue...Just curious.

Enjoy today,
Amy

R2P2D4

Down .8lbs! I'll take that.

Yesterday was a bit rough. I was stuck in a stressful meeting from 11-1 yesterday. By the time I got out I was starving, but was unable to eat because I had to leave to pick up my daughter from school. I didn't get a chance to eat until 2:00. By then I was feeling terrible and was a total witch. I told my girl to give me 10 min to eat and 10 min to get normal before she tried to have a discussion with me. I felt much better after my shrimp on green salad.

Dinner last night was tasty. I made scrambled eggs, toast and fruit for the family and a yummy tomato frittata for me. My kids LOVE breakfast for dinner. I split my tomato allowance in half. I used one half in the frittata and one half to make a yummy topping for the frittata. Here is how I made it:

Tomato Frittata
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
cherry tomatoes (allowed amount)
1 Tbs onion powder or dried, minced onion
1 Tbs water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbs vinegar
basil (I used 1 Tbs fresh, but you could use 1 tsp dried)
1 clove garlic crushed or minced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Use half of the amount of the tomatoes to line a small, oven proof skillet or a parchment paper lined baking pan (so it won't stick). Whip together egg and egg whites and water. Add onion powder, salt and pepper; mix well. Pour egg white mixture over tomatoes.

If you are using the parchment and baking pan, you can put this in the oven right away and back for 15-20 min, but keep checking for doneness (eggs will be set).

If you are using a saute pan, you can pre-cook the bottom of the frittata over medium heat. Careful not to over cook. I did it just until the edges of my eggs started to look dry. Move the pan into the oven and bake for about 10 more minutes or until the eggs are set.

Topping: While the frittata is baking, take remaining cherry tomatoes and toss them with the vinegar, basil, garlic and more salt and pepper, to taste. Stir occasionally until the frittata is done.

Move the frittata from the pan to a plate (I usually invert the pan and dump the frittata onto my plate) and top with the tomato vinegar mixture. Server and enjoy!

Makes one serving (1 protein and 1 veg)



Enjoy today,
Amy

R2P2D3

Another 1.8 lbs lost. Woot!

Yesterday was pretty good until I decided to push and do some time on my treadmill. Wow, it really wiped me out. I was tired before I got on there, but after I was queasy and exhausted. I am hesitant to try that again, but want to keep exercising so I minimize my lean muscle mass loss.

Today went really well. I struggle most in the evenings. I am hungriest between my afternoon snack of fruit and dinner. It is all I can do to avoid eating my arm. Then dinner comes along and I sometimes fill up before I am done with my servings. Weird, huh?

Okay, so I promised you the recipe for my Spicy Chicken Stir-fry and here it is. As usual, sub liquid aminos if your program involves pH levels.



Spicy Chicken Stir-fry (per serving)
100g chicken, cut into 1" cubes
equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar (I use about 2-3 Tbs per serving of chicken)
Celery, sliced, allowed amount
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
1/4 C chicken broth + more for stir-frying
1-2 tsp additional soy sauce
1 tsp additional rice vinegar
1 tsp dried, minced onions
1-2 tsp Sambal Oelek

Marinate chicken in equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar for at least 30 min. Meanwhile mix sauce by combing in a small bowl the 1/4 C chicken broth, additional soy sauce, rice vinegar and dried mince onions, set aside. Drain chicken and stir-fry over med-hi heat using broth to avoid sticking/burning. Cook until chicken is browned on all sides (5-7 min). Remove chicken from pan and set aside. In more chicken broth saute the celery until it is just barely softening. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until strongly fragrant. Add sauce and cook for 1-3 min allowing to reduce just slightly. Return chicken to pan and cook another 1-3 min so chicken is heated through. (I always make this for my entire family and at this point I remove my kids portions). Stir in Sambal Oelek, cooking for about 1 more min.

Yummy!

Enjoy today,
Amy

R2P2D2

Wahoo! It's working! I lost 4.4 lbs! Much of that was loading weight, no surprise.

The first day (and what I have experienced of the second day) of VLCD is going more easily this round. I do have occasional empty stomach pangs, but no overwhelming hunger. Wahoo!

I made a yummy dinner last night, a spicy chicken stir-fry that I am excited to share with all of you. I will have to do that tomorrow or Thurs though. I am crazy busy at work and need to get back to it.

I am so happy to be back on track. Can't wait to buy myself a whole new collection of fall clothes when I am finished.

And I am already looking at another round starting in January. Think I will start the ordering process now to avoid the holiday shipping back-ups.

Enjoy today!
Amy

R2P2Day1

And here we go again.

Loading was fun. Loading was hard. Loading was uncomfortable. Loading is done; VLCD is here and so is the tea.

Started my day with a cup of my favorite tea and a splash of milk. I also had my MR shake. Remember my doc decided to swap out the calories of the melba/grissini for the higher nutritional value of the MR. Otherwise I follow the Simeon's protocol to the letter.

Not terribly hungry at 10, but will make myself another cup of tea; green this time.

So here is how things are at the start of this second round. I gained 17 lbs since my last injection weight (LIW). Not good. Remember though, I biffed P3. I ended it a week early. I don't think my system was able to totally reset. But I am still down 18 lbs from when I started the first round. I'll take it. Loading only added 3 lbs this time. I like to ignore the loading weight, but it will show on the ticker until it is off.

I am not sure how I am going to track this round. I like the ticker, but it will only show my total weight loss for both rounds. I am thinking I will find a way to post my stats on the side so people can see back to the beginning. I'll play around and see what I come up with.

Okay, busy at work so I better get back to it.

Enjoy today,
Amy

Loading...

Oh yes, I mixed up my HCG this morning. I decided to do 30 days at 150UI. I only bought one vial of HCG. Oops. I know for next time to get 2 if I want to do a full round.

And now I am loading. I am full.

And what I thought was going to be an easy weekend to load, is not. You just can't eat the kinds of foods and the quantities required for loading in front of loving family and friends. They look at you like you are trying to commit suicide by food. I guess it would help if they all knew that I was doing HCG. Problem is, I am related to a whole pile of skeptics. They would probably have me committed to a mental institution if I told them what I was doing. Better they worry about all the food I eat when I load and how little I eat when I am in Phase 2.

Okay, tons of work to do for the birthday party tomorrow.

Amy

It's Almost Time...

I cannot believe it is almost time for me to start another round. When I planned all this out, oh so long ago, Sept 11 seemed such a long way off. Now it is just days away. I chose this date for so many reasons, but one of them was because I am throwing a huge birthday party for my son. He will be 3 and I figure this is one of the last times when I can have complete control of the party. And I am doing it big time. So big time that I am exhausted. It will be a great party though. Every detail has been attended to.

Perhaps, in hindsight, this was not the best time to be gearing up for another round of HCG. I have had hardly any time to prepare for it. I did choose it so that I could load over the party weekend and start on Monday.

And I am doing this round on my own. I got great suggestions for where to buy my supplies and basic support for doing it on my own from Your HCG Coach. She is a wealth of knowledge about this diet and I encourage you to follow her personal HCG blog too.

She lists some online pharmacies on her site and I used Pharmacy Escrow. My supplies arrived in plenty of time. I got the syringes, bacteriostatic water, etc really quickly as they were shipped from the US. The actual HCG took longer as it came from overseas and had to go through customs. I was able to get a prescription from the doctor at the pharmacy for a small online exam fee. It was a great experience other than the overseas purchase cause my credit card company to freak and contact me. After I assured them that I had, indeed, made the purchase everything was fine. Good to know the credit card company has my back (well theirs really).

Now all I have to do is find time to mix my HCG and test it. No problem I will do that in between all of the party prep. AHHHHH!

I'll be back soon!

I did it.

I made the decision to go rouge and do this on my own. For a fraction of the cost I ordered my HCG supplies from one of the pharmacies that my HCG online friends recommend. I am saving between $450-650.

I admit, I am nervous. Especially since I had the thyroid issue last time. That being said, I still have the extra thyroid pills that they prescribed for me last time. I guess I can add those in again if I start having the same symptoms this time.

No matter what, I am excited. It will take awhile for everything to get here. I am hoping to be able to load the weekend of Sept 11-12 and start on the 13th. That is the weekend of my son's birthday party and I want to enjoy it. Or over-enjoy if you know what I mean.

Can't wait to get back on here and keep you posted on my progress.

Where am I at now. Well, I have gained 12lbs back. Yikes, I know. I think this is because I wasn't able to do the full 3 weeks of P3. Everyone says how important that is. I am hoping that is it. I haven't made the best food choices (gosh, I love ice cream!) and I haven't been very good about any exercise. So, I am working on making healthier food choices so that I can drop some of that weight even before I start the protocol again. I am also getting back to my Pilates 2x a week and dusting off my treadmill. Time to get back in control.

Hugs and see you soon.

Enjoy life,
Amy

P3 Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes!

Cupcakes:
4 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
pinch salt
3 Tbs Xylitol
1 tsp Stevia powder
1 C creamy peanut butter (no sugar added)
3 Tbs vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C almond meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 C fruit spread (no sugar added)
Berry Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan with paper liners

Whip egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks appear. While the mixer runs add xylitol and Stevia and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. This actually happens very quickly so don't take too much time added sweeteners. I transferred my beaten egg whites to another bowl and quickly cleaned my mixing bowl for the next step.

In a clean bowl, using the mixer, beat the egg yolks with the peanut butter, oil and vanilla until very smooth. Add the ground almonds and baking soda, mix well. Remove bowl from mixer and fold egg white mixture into peanut butter mixture until combined. Batter should no longer be streaky.

Put about 2 Tbs of batter in the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Add 1 tsp fruit spread on top of the batter and top this with about 1-2 Tbs remaining batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes have risen, are golden brown and springy to the touch.

Cool completely before frosting.

Berry Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese at room temp
3/4 C (1 and 1/2 stick or 12 Tbs) unsalted butter at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C xylitol
3 heaping Tbs fruit preserves from above

In spice/coffee grinder, grind the xylitol until powdered (if your xylitol comes granulated). In the bowl of your mixer blend together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. On slow speed add powdered xylitol a small amount at a time until combined. Add the fruit spread and mix until combined.

Generously frost cooled cupcakes.

Or, if you really want to have some fun, use a piping tip and fill the cavity in the cupcake that was created by the fruit spread with the frosting. This makes a more portable treat with a surprise, creamy filling. Think P,B & J ding dongs. :)

Enjoy,
Amy

Life in P4

Hello Friends,

I apologize for my lack of posts. I have been so terribly busy. My conference was fabulous, but not so great for the end of P3. Let's just say I ended P3 about a week early. Sigh. 2 days after my return from the conference I took my 2 year old camping with some dear friends of ours. And immediately upon our return from camping I was entrenched for 3 days in my daughters dress rehearsals and recital (I always work as a backstage manager). Yikes.

Okay, so now I am totally in P4 or maintainence and I am up a bit (total of 6 lbs from LIW). This probably happened in all the chaos over the last few weeks. I am trying to correct it now by making good choices. Here is what I would eat in an ideal food choice day:

Breakfast: green smoothie (2 green veggie servings and 1 fruit)
lean protein (either my homemade turkey sausages or 1-2 hard boiled eggs)
Snack 1: Ultra Meal shake (same as I was doing on P2)
Lunch: I try to have a lean protein and at least 2 veggie servings. A lot of times
this is left overs from dinner the night before. Occasionally I will have a
starch here
Snack 2: lots of veggies and usually a dip made with legumes
Dinner: lean protein, lots of veggies and a little starch, milk (if I don't have a
latte during the day)
Snack 3: nuts and fruit


Come back soon for a yummy P3 recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes!

Amy

P3D13

ALL THINGS IN MODERATION

No, I am not yelling at you. I put that in caps to remind myself. I feel wretched today. My weight is way up over the 2 allowed lbs.

Part of the reason I feel like heck is that the pollen counts are sky high right now. I am definitely allergic to something that is pollinating right now. My eyes are red, itchy and swollen, my sinuses are killing me, I have a pounding headache, etc. Basically I feel like I have a hangover and a mild cold all at the same time; no alcohol involved!

But I don't think the pollen is the only reason. I think I have been eating too many non-sugar sweeteners. Specifically, I think I have been eating too much malitol (Sinless Sans Fat ice cream at Cold Stone on Friday), erytritol and xylitol (all the cupcakes I have been baking to find the perfect one for my daughter's birthday). Things might not have been so bad if I had tasted 1 a day. Instead I was eating 3, sometimes 4 or 5 of those grain-free, sugar free wonders. I clearly overdid it. I was warned by my doc that these sweeteners can cause water retention, inflammation or intestinal issues if I ate too much. Well, I avoided the intestinal issues, but I am suffering the inflammation and water retention.

So let my suffering serve as a warning to you. Yes, those chocolate cupcakes are divine, but eat them in moderation. Make them and enjoy 1 or 2 and then get them out of your house.

I am correcting today with detox teas and asparagus for most of the day except dinner. Since it is my daughter's birthday, we are eating at PF Chang's. I have already made a list of entrees I can have that are low-carb, sugar-free and can be made without starch. I think I will be okay. I plan to drink lots of water to counter the increased sodium.

Okay, this will be my last post for about a week or so. I am heading to a big scientific nerd conference. I am ready to make healthy decisions once I am there. Wish me luck!

Enjoy life,
Amy

P3D9

Hello blog friends! Still doing well with maintaining. Am I am having a blast in the kitchen coming up with starch-free, sugar-free yummies to eat. Be sure to hop on over to my gluten free blog, lifeminusgluten.com for a fabulous Caesar Salad recipe. If you are on P3 you will want to avoid the croutons. A nice substitution is sliced almonds.

But just for you, my fellow HCG dieters, I have some yummy, sugar-free, starch and grain-free and P3 friendly CUPCAKES!
I have to admit that I adapted today's recipe from the lovely Lauren at healthyindulgences.com. She had a recipe on there for a chocolate cake that looked amazing. I made it into cupcakes and they are deceptively delicious. I say deceptively because there is an ingredient in there that will blow your mind. Read on and make them. I promise that they taste nothing like that secret ingredient, but are moist, soft, and chocolaty! They are pretty inexpensive, after the sweeteners so why not try it, you have very little to lose, except your doubt.
Okay, I know it contains baking powder which does have a small amount of starch in it, but by the time you divide that amount into 10 servings...it is really negligible. The net carbs for 1 cupcake is 4.8g. How awesome is that? If you just can't bring yourself to use baking powder, use 1/4 tsp of baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (so that would make the recipe total 1.25 tsp of baking soda).
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Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Cupcakes
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Tbs unsalted organic butter OR extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 C erythritol plus 1/2 tsp pure stevia extract OR 1 C Splenda
6Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs water

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract and 1 tsp vanilla (in place of 1 Tbs vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Put cupcake papers into cupcake pan.

Rinse very well and drain the beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or Splenda) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Batter may be runny, that is fine. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.

Bake for 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when top is firm, but springy. I did test a couple of mine with a toothpick and they came out clean. DO NOT over bake. The result is tragic. After 10 minutes, remove cupcakes from pan and continue to cool on a cooling rack. Let cool until cupcakes reach room temperature, then cover and allow to rest.

Lauren suggested that for BEST flavor, to let them sit overnight. I just couldn't wait and tried them while they were still warm. No beany flavor. The next day they were even better. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours!

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes
~4.8g net carbs per cupcake, with frosting!!

P3-Friendly Buttercream frosting
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened
1/4 C plus 1 Tbs erythritol, powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5-6 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs half and half OR coconut milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste


Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top or you will get a sweetener cloud that stays in the air until the next day (cough, cough). Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You'll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking. Beat in the half and half, but just until the frosting reaches the consistency you like. This made enough to frost all of the cupcakes.
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Enjoy!

Amy