Day 9 & 8 Pounds Gone So Far!

I am so happy to be seeing such definite progress. I weighed 210.6 this morning, which means I've lost about 8 pounds since day one. That is quite exciting for me, as my rate of loss before was 2-3 pounds a week. Certainly respectable, but it is nice to see the pounds dropping off this quickly.

I still feel odd. Kind of foggy and unmotivated. I find that if I stay active and move around I feel better, but if I exercise or run around too much I get too hungry. There is a balance I try to find everyday.

I cheated quite a bit today because I ran out of meat yesterday and couldn't go grocery shopping until this afternoon. My body friggin' panicked. I felt like I was starving and took three pretty large bites of my husband's meatball sub he had for lunch. I didn't eat meat for lunch on top of that, but with the extra fat and all the extra crackers I ate because I was ravenous, I won't be too surprised if I don't show a major loss tomorrow. It's only one day. I choose to move on and do better (and not let myself run out of meat!).

Day 8 on HCG Diet

I'm down to 212.4 pounds! I have to conclude that these drops are working. I have been on low calorie diets and 'cleanses' before and I always felt terribly hungry and had to quit. I'm not saying I'm not hungry, but it's definitely not as intense. Chewing gum helps, as well as drinking hot tea and spreading my allotted food carefully throughout the day.

I feel somewhat lethargic and depressed today. I'm sure it's just because I've been eating 500-700 calories a day. I think I'll just go to bed early. Lack of sleep may also be a factor.

I made up an amazing HCG dinner tonight that I want to share the recipe for. I will soon! It was so yummy.

Just for fun before I go, here's some inspiration for me... This is me at about 180-190 pounds back in late 2006.

Pretty lady ^_^

Make Your Own Grissini from Scratch

I made these lovelies today from scratch and was unbelievably pleased with myself. I even kneaded the dough by hand instead of using my bread maker. It was a fulfilling experience. ^_^

Grissini with Onion Powder and Parsley

These bread sticks are not only HCG diet approved, they are quite inexpensive to make and surprisingly delicious. I plan to make more after this diet is over and pair them with some healthy dip or hummus. It is a bit of an effort to make them, and it does take some time, but if you consider the cost of making them compared to the cost of buying them, it is well worth it. Plus, it's fun and liberating to make your own bread, especially if you've never done it before. Don't be overwhelmed, you can do it!

I started with this recipe and added some onion powder, parsley, and black pepper. There are tons of options for seasonings and I can't wait to try more. We all know that on the HCG diet, seasonings are your best friend!

Here is the nutritional breakdown:

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 48
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 22.3

• Total Fat: 0.6 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 48.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 3.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
• Protein: 0.5 g

You Will Need:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast (equal to 2 1/2 teaspoons of jarred yeast)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

I prefer to use organic ingredients as it enhances the taste and is better for you, but the choice is yours. 

Once you have gathered your ingredients, combine the water with the yeast, sugar, and one-half cup of the all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until bubbly. If you don't see slight bubbles in your mixture, your yeast may not be active or your water may be too cold (in which case it will just take longer).

Stir in all remaining ingredients. You can also add spices at this point such as parsley, black pepper, or rosemary. Knead until smooth and elastic. This will take about 5 minutes. You may need to add some extra water a few tablespoons at a time. You want your dough to all hold together without being very sticky or damp. 

Wash out your bowl and coat it with a thin layer of olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap to help hold in heat, and place in a warm spot for an hour to rise. Good places include a sunny windows or porches.

My dough after rising for an hour

Lightly dust flour on a surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into four pieces. Roll out (or gently spread with your fingers if you're an amateur like me and you don't have a rolling pin) rectangles that are approximately 4 by 12 inches. Cut the dough lengthwise into 1/3 inch strips. Place the strips about 1/2 inch apart on a greased or parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Repeat with all the remaining dough.

My bread sticks to be

Allow the grissini to puff (rise) for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

I ended up with three pans of bread sticks. I started my timer for thirty minutes as soon as I was finished with the first pan, then began baking the first batch when the timer went off.

Bake yours in batches on the top shelf of the oven until lightly browned. This takes about 10 minutes per batch. Make sure to rotate your pan halfway through to ensure even baking. Cool your grissini on a rack (or a piece of parchment paper). Continue baking until all bread sticks are baked.

Allow to cool completely and store in a ziploc bag for freshness. One note here, by the way. These babies are super fragile and with break if you're rough with them.

  Be gentle with your grissini! 

This recipe yields about 48 of these sticks of awesome. Good luck with yours! Did you come up with any interesting spice variations? Please share below! ^_^ 

Day 7 on HCG Diet

I think all my cheating finally caught up to me. Today I weighed in at 213.8 pounds, only a 3/4 pound loss. I am doing MUCH better today, though, and I even added some light cardio. I jumped on my rebounder trampoline for 15 minutes this morning and I feel quite excellent. The gum is helping curb food cravings, too.

It's funny, but I also think one of the biggest factors of me doing so much better is that my husband is off of his vacation and back at work. When I am alone, I tend to be more disciplined. I'm not sure why that is, seems like it should be the opposite.

I'll keep you updated on the rest of the day.

Update: Evening

I cheated much less today. Other than my egg this morning (which I may or may not continue to eat, depending on my weight loss tomorrow), I had a couple taste tests of spaghetti sauce I was making, and 2 of the bread sticks I made today in addition to my allotted crackers.

How could I not taste these?  They're yummy! Make your own.

I haven't felt as hungry, but I have felt a little foggy. Not tired, or even irritable, really, just a little out of it. I hope this passes.

I think I did well, as my calorie count was much less than yesterday. I'll just have to wait and see what I weigh tomorrow morning.

Day 6 on HCG Diet

I am feeling astoundingly more optimistic today. I weighed in at 214.4 this morning. That means I've lost 10 pounds in 5 days (I weighed 224 after my first loading day). I am ecstatic with these results and they are proving to be great motivation. I didn't cheat as much today, but I still ate too many crackers. I won't be buying those Melba Sea Salt Snacks anymore. They're too delicious!

I plan to place my cracker allotment for tomorrow in a baggie so that I'll have a better visual of what I can have and I'll be more likely to ration and less likely to cheat. I like to trick my brain.

I was still a bit hungry today, but I mostly craved carbs and just something to chew. I broke down and got some Trident White gum, which isn't completely aspartame free, but it will do for now. Having something to chew keeps me from craving food so much. Next I will get 'Spry' gum off of Amazon that has no aspartame or sugar, only Xylitol, which is derived from fruits and is actually good for your teeth.

Trying this next to avoid food cravings...

It seems to get a little easier every day, and I'm getting to a point where I can't wait for morning so I can weigh myself. I've noticed in the evenings I can feel a little down and tired, but I think it is because I need to be going to bed earlier.

Day 5 and Feeling Better

I feel a lot better today. Still a bit hungry, but the cravings are mostly for crackers again, so I've been trying to nibble on fruit here and there instead. The excellent news is I weighed in at 217 this morning, an all-time low since I had my twins. I hope the loss will continue.

I have been doing quite a bit of research on the product I purchased, and I plan to write an article on it. Because it is not the actual HCG hormone, and I am feeling much hungrier than I believe I should be, I have decided to add some extra calories to the diet, mainly in the form of a boiled egg at breakfast. This may be foolish and a step taken too early in the game, but as long as I'm losing 1-2 pounds a day, I am not going to worry about it.

I slipped a bit again today, too. I need to stop making my hubby such amazing dinners! I find that a bite or two is just so hard to resist. And these damned Melba's. I may switch to something more bland, as those babies are delicious! I ate about 700 calories today. Not too shabby. The result will be seen tomorrow when I step on that scale.

I miss working out. I'll probably work some light cardio into my routine. I'd gotten so used to physical activity that I feel strange and sluggish now that I'm not doing as much.

Just for fun, here is a photo of me in high school in like 2003. I weighed about 180-185 here. Look how cool I was. I can hardly stand it. Ha!

Yours truly

Hungry on Day 4

I sort of feel like a total wimp, but I have been quite hungry today. I am trying to determine whether it is true hunger or if I am craving foods like sweets and carbs. It seems like that is what I want, mostly, but also fats. I kept wanting to eat more crackers, not necessarily more veggies or meat... I spread my food out a lot today, trying to make it last, but I found myself waiting impatiently for the next time I could eat, without accomplishing much else.

Not a fun day, and I am conflicted because I told myself I would listen to my body and I intend to, but at what point? It is only my second day on the VLCD, so my gut tells me I should give the drops a bit more time to work. I also want to see how much weight I lose before tomorrow.

Speaking of weight, I lost about two and a half pounds since yesterday. That is a fantastic sign, but I will feel much more encouraged when I hit 217, which was my weight before I started my load days.

Also, I have to admit this to you if I'm going to keep this blog totally honest and be accountable. I had a couple extra Melba snacks today, a couple strawberries (not one of my two chosen fruits for the day), and a few bites of my husband's chicken and brussel sprout dinner (made by me and actually quite clean and healthy). I'm not sure if it will change anything, nor will I be able to tell because I didn't give myself a control day to work from. Oh, well. Tomorrow is a new day and all that.

So, all in all, I've decided to give it more time, not get too discouraged, and do my best to avoid boredom and tempting crackers.

Nom, nom, nom. Stop tempting me, Melbas!

HCG Diet Printable and Day 3

Another wonderful morning! I feel better today at the thought of eating healthier foods. I also have rather optimistic news. This morning I weighed in at 222.6, which means I have lost a couple pounds since yesterday. That gives me some hope considering I ate at least 6,000 calories yesterday for my second load day. That doesn't really make sense, so I'm hoping it is the drops doing their job.

Yesterday I went grocery shopping for my food for about the next week. I came home and split my meat into 3.5 oz (100 gram) servings after cutting off all of the visible fat. I then put each serving into a sandwich bag, and placed all of the sandwich bags for each type of meat into a gallon freezer bag, labeled them, and stored them in the freezer. I basically pre-packaged and individually wrapped my meat servings. I think it will make it easier for me, as I have twin toddlers and don't have time to drag out my postal scale every time it's time to eat.

Last night I was excited, so I made these posters to hang inside of a cabinet door in my kitchen so I can see them easily. It is suggested that you check what you are eating against the actual diet, especially at first, so you don't make a mistake. You'll learn that I have an urge to make everything pretty, and here is the result:

 Keep in mind that I drew those very late last night, so they are a bit more... freestyle than I normally like. Of course you are welcome to print them for your own personal use if you'd like.

I'm about to go make my morning tea. I'll keep you posted on how I feel today.

*Update: Evening

I'm not going to lie, I've been a bit hungry today. I haven't felt weak or shaky or SUPER hungry, just a bit peckish. I have been on low calorie diets before without the assistance of HCG or any supplement, and I felt much worse than this.
In my research, I found that most people feel some hunger for the first few days, but it eventually levels out once the drops are established in your system and everything levels out. We shall see.

I rode my bike today, with my twins in their trailer. I didn't overdo it and I feel okay. I know that over excursion is a no-no, as you can quickly burn through the calories you are allowed to consume, so I plan to keep it easy and tone up after I'm finished with this diet. I will continue to walk and rebound and ride my bike, but nothing too hardcore.

I am feeling quite hopeful about tomorrow. I will know more then, after I step on that scale.
Good night! ^_^

Day 2 on HCG

Good morning, good morning.
I gained a whopping 6 pounds in one day on this loading diet. I'm now at 224.8pounds. Ugh! I am holding onto my hope, though, that once I start on Phase 2, that I will lose that weight, quickly. I have read that most people lose the weight gained during the loading phase within the first 48 hours or so of the VLCD (very low calorie diet).
I honestly ate almost 6,000 calories yesterday. I woke up feeling rather awful! Lethargic, sore, and grumpy. If nothing else, this is proving to be an interesting experiment on the ill effects of junk food.
The most insane part to me is that I used to eat like this, 3 to 4,000 calories a day on purpose. With no thought as to what I was putting into my body. No wonder I felt terrible and gained so much weight. I have come so far in the way that I think about food.
It's so funny, but I can't wait to eat some spinach and chicken tomorrow. And an apple. It will be lovely.

HCG Day 1

Hello! I am an artist, a wife, a twin mom, and a woman who has struggled with the difference between my self image and what I see in the mirror for a long, long time.

This is my revolution. 

This is my year to bring those two images closer together. I want to be as beautiful on the outside as I am on the inside and I want to feel strong and healthy.

This is not the first day of my weight-loss journey, but I will detail the past two months as I go. I've decided to blog about my progress, both as motivation, and a way to get my thoughts out of my admittedly neurotic mind. I want to blog about all of the positive changes I've made in my life so far this year, not just the weight loss. I have quit smoking this year, and completely changed my eating and exercise habits.

I decided recently to start the HCG protocol. The hormone treatment makes me nervous, so I chose the Formula One HCG Alternative Drops with African Mango. I just received them in the mail yesterday, and I was so excited that I started the first of my two "load days" today.

I plan to follow Simeon's protocol as closely as possible, but I will also listen to my body. I know it will tell me if what I'm doing is harmful or not. The diet required is very low calorie, only 500 a day, but if the drops work properly to release the HCG hormone, it shouldn't be a problem. If you're not familiar with the protocol,  you can find out more about it here and here. I'll go into more detail in future posts.

Today: 218 pounds Size 17-18 pants

My starting weight was 238 pounds on February 3, 2012. Today I weigh 218. My goal weight is 160. I am 5' 9" and have a rather large frame, and I would be extremely happy with that result. I have been working really hard for the past 6 weeks or so, and I'm looking forward to making some major progress with this product and diet.

Today I feel a little gross, because I have been loading up on fats, as per the protocol for the first two days. I have been eating a diet of mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats not exceeding 1600 calories for several weeks now, so it feels very odd to have to gorge myself. I'm trying to enjoy it and not be too anxious.

The drops themselves taste okay. The 20% alcohol content burns a little for the 15 seconds you have to hold it under your tongue, but it isn't too bad.

Overall, it's been a great day so far, and I'm looking forward to dropping some pounds! ^_^

<3

*Update: Same day, mid-afternoon....

My goodness! This whole loading up on fats thing is quite miserable, especially after eating so healthy like I have been. My stomach is heavy, and my blood feels thick. I feel so lethargic. Can't wait to start on Phase 2. I just wanted to share how surprisingly terrible it feels to gorge on the foods I once craved.

Perhaps one of the theories behind the 'loading' phase is to overwhelm you with fatty foods so you get sick of them. I'm glad this part only lasts two days.