Day 20 - Weight ??? - Traveling Day

Up early and headed back to Cali. What a waste that trip turned out to be... I still don't have a scale here in St. George, so I have no idea what my weight was this morning. It's good to be home.

LIQUIDS

• 2 C coffee, 2 liters water

SNACK

• Strawberries (eaten in the car on the way)

LUNCH

• Pre-cooked steak strips
• Spinach, steamed
• WASA

SNACK

• Grapefruit

DINNER

• Crab w/ lemon juice & Frank's (we're out of Cholula!)
• WASA

I know I ate a LOT of crab. Twice yesterday, which is a real no-no on its own, and then again twice today. Two reasons; one, I was really craving it. Not sure why. And, two, once you open the container of fresh crab, you have to eat it. So, as long as it's only a couple of days in a row, I think I'm OK. Not the best choice, I'm sure, but not horrible, either. I wonder what the nutritional value of crab is? Maybe that would explain why I was craving it. I'll look it up and let you know when I have it again in a week or so.

I'm really not feeling hungry between meals and I'm feeling very satisfied when I do eat. There was no way I could stretch out the snacks and meals when I started. But now, I feel great eating a fruit serving around 11 a.m. and then parsing out the food for the rest of the day.

On the diet so far I haven't lost weight well on traveling days. Also, I'm heading into the two weeks of my "female" cycle that traditionally add weight, bloating, etc. It will be interesting to see how the weight measures up in the next few days...

Day 19 - Weight ???

This morning I'm up at the crack of dawn with darling Daphne who seems to have gotten the time change mixed up and decided to awaken at 5:30 a.m. Mountain Time which is both one whole hour earlier than she usually gets up anyway and only 4:30 a.m. Pacific Time. She didn't seem to be the bothered by it in the slightest. LOL! And it would have been perfect if we had actually been getting in the car to head to Idaho as we had originally planned. Instead, I had plenty of time to putz around the house and do things that always need to be done in a house in which you only visit and don't really live.

It was so very, very strange not to weigh myself this morning. Or not to have any idea what effect those eggs have had on my diet! :-) I weighed 125 at my Amara appointment with all my clothes on, and already having had several cups of water and coffee. I feel fine about that because I know that I weigh less than that under "normal" weighing circumstances. My measurements looked good and Amber was both really knowledgeable and a positive influence on my diet success thus far, my questions, and my diet future.

Amber let me know that any time after 23 days your metabolism is considered to be "reset." As long as you follow the "after-diet protocol" (which I haven't detailed yet on this blog) your metabolic rate should remain at its new levels after the 23rd injection. She also reminded me that 42 days is the longest you can remain on the injections without a taking a 6-week break. I decided, in concert with her advice, that I'll stay on the program for the full 42 days. I definitely have fat pockets to lose (read: saddlebags) and I may as well finish up the complete cycle. OK, it's good to know how much longer I have to do this. An end in sight!

Instead of getting back in the car and heading home (what a waste of time, gas money, food money, and energy this trip has turned out to be!), I decided to stay for the day and visit with my sister-in-law. Lemonade out of lemons! We went to the Green Valley Spa pool and tried to talk and catch up while her two little boys played in the water. It was good to try to make something positive out of what has become a ridiculous farce of a plan. Tomorrow, I'm headed home to Cali.

SNACK/LUNCH COMBO

• Strawberries
• Crab (without any seasonings)
• Asparagus, steamed
• WASA

SNACK

• Grapefruit
• WASA

DINNER

• Crab (unseasoned)
• Tomatoes, fresh

Family Drama Update: So, get this, my Dad calls and says that they've "re-grouped" and everything is "back on." Only no one will be allowed to come this week, they'll be coming all together 5 days from now, and they "really hope I'll be able to make it." (What I'm supposed to do in the interim, I guess, is drive 400 miles back home and then turn around and drive 400 miles back to ST. G in two days and then on to Idaho? What the ????) I told my dad that I would most likely not be able to make it since I had "already made it." He said that they needed to accommodate everyone's plans and I remarked "Well, some people's plans are more important than other people's, I guess." He didn't like the sound of that and "thought I was more flexible than that." But there's really no other way to read the actions. It's true that I could have come at nearly any time but I could not come at ALL THE TIMES. So, I just said that I hoped that it worked out for him and that was the end of our conversation. (There's so much more drama to this story that involves numerous siblings, hours of telephone conversations, back and forth, etc. Why do families always seem to be about the drama and some people who just seem to feed on it?)

Day 18 - Weight 121.6 - Traveling Day

Up and out the door with one dog, one puppy, and one man-child (My "baby" is 17 now. That's practically grown!), in tow by 7 a.m. and on the road to St. George. I've driven this stretch so many times it's almost like being on auto-pilot. We left early so that I'd have time to run my errands for my own week's food prep upon my arrival. Where my parent's live the nearest grocery store is over 20 miles away and they don't have all of the items I might look for and find in Southern California. I need to prep before I get there. Besides, I'm heading to my parents to work, so the more I can streamline my eating requirements before I arrive the easier it will be to stick to the diet and still get everything done.

After we passed that gorgeous red rock canyon and drove into the St. George valley we headed straight to Petco (I forgot to pack Daphne's puppy food) and then to Costco where I bought my food. Errands accomplished we headed to the house and everyone was ready to get out of the car and settle in.

I spent the afternoon playing with my nephews, ages 2 and 4, who live in a house only one straight away from mine. I really miss them. We played "farm" and "knights and castles" (I was the princess in the tower who needed to be rescued). After a few hours, I headed home to cook, prep and package all of my meals for the week and get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's long, 8-hour, drive.

Tomorrow morning, before I head out of town, I'm going back to AmaraMedSpa to weigh-in, have a check-up/measurement session. I don't have a scale here, it's in Cali and I'll use my parents' while I'm in Idaho, and won't be able to weigh myself in the morning. So, my weight will be "off." Oh, well. I'm looking forward to seeing the staff, talking about my results & where I go from here, and asking some of the questions that I have.

For dinner, I really funked out tonight. I was just too tired to cook one more thing and nothing sounded good, anyway. So I made soft-boiled eggs. If you feel that you must have a break from meat, you are allowed to have eggs according to the Simeon Protocol. The rules are; no cooking with fat of any kind, and you can have one whole egg with three egg whites (yolk, of course, having the high fat content). I started out with the full intention of following the rules but I lost it. I cooked and ate all three eggs in their entirety and was so full and so tired that I didn't even cook or eat any veggies. I had eaten my strawberries before I started cooking the eggs. I have to tell you, those were possibly the best eggs I've ever had. I savored every bite and didn't even feel an ounce, or a microgram, of guilt.

SNACK/LUNCH COMBO

• Grilled steak
• Tomatoes, fresh
• Apple
• WASA

SNACK/DINNER COMBO

• Strawberries
• 3 whole, soft-boiled delicious eggs

UPDATE ON THE TRAVEL: Well, you won't believe what happened. At nearly 11 p.m., my dad calls and tells me that they've decided to cancel the "event." It isn't working out, some people are upset about it, they don't know what they are going to do. One of my siblings (I'm not saying who) called my mom crying and upset that some of the kids would be there before her. Apparently, she's worried that someone will take something from her? Who knows. I don't reply that I'm already half-way there or that you shouldn't have to cry or bitch to have your feelings considered. I simply say, "Umm. Ok."

Day 17 - Weight 121

On really short notice, I have to leave for Idaho tomorrow morning. My parents retired in the southeastern part of that state leaving Palm Springs, where I grew up and got married for the first time, just a few months after my first son was born. It was 1991, and during a long roadtrip vacation through the northwestern states they bought a raspberry farm from "a guy my dad met while buying fishing tackle." I kid you not. They came back from vacation and were gone within a month to live in their idea of rural heaven, away from the hustle and bustle of southern California traffic, and congestion, and fast living. I have visited some over the years but can only take a couple of days before I need to get back to the "real world."

In the last couple of years my parents have spent their winters on the big island of Hawaii on a property where they've been building a simple little house for themselves. Away from everyone and in their own private utopia, with no rules and no judgements, I think they've finally found the life they wanted when they first fell in love back in the 60's and before they accidentally went and had a bunch of kids and got caught up in real life. I'm happy for them. Their lives have not been easy and I think they have found more than a spot of peace for themselves over there on that volcanic rock.

Anyway, they are selling the farm now and my dad came up with this idea that all of the kids, there are 6 of us, should come up and go through all of their possessions and "pick what they want just like I was dead." OMG! Are you kidding me? This is an awful idea. Everyone thinks so. Except, apparently Dad. OK. Here we come. I'll drive to St. George tomorrow, a little less than half way, and stay the night and then head up the rest of the way the next day. My brother and I will go this first week and move boxes from the attic and over the garage, etc., (Dad's got more than 200 boxes and that doesn't count all of the stuff that is "out") and sort them into similarities so that when everyone gets there it can go more smoothly. Almost more importantly, I'm hoping to use my camera to catalog Dad's valuable antiques, important collections and expensive pieces so that he can sell them at auction. He isn't dead. He's still living and he and my mother should enjoy their own property financially while they are alive. (At least that's my view). Most of these kinds of pieces don't hold any particular sentimental value for us kids, they're just things he was into and collected over the years but weren't really part of our lives. He's collected more than a good bit of early Americana pieces that should pay handsomely for him now that he's ready to scale down and simplify his living experience.

So, tonight I have driven all over town buying groceries for my husband's week on the diet while I'll be gone, pet play pens for the dogs to use at my parent's property, another food scale, etc. Errands successfully run, I pre-cooked, prepped, and packaged all of hubby's meals for the week. It turned into a late night but all the work is done.

COMBO SNACK/LUNCH

• Ground sirloin & Cabbage soup
  
• Apple
• WASA

I know this pic looks awful. Very brown and more than a little like something really gross that you wouldn't want to eat. BUT, it was delicious. Also, I learned something about the pics and shooting soup. The soup has steam rising from it, obviously, and so it's impossible to take a straight-on shot that appears clear. You'd have to wait until the soup was cold to take a good pic. No thanks. Its not actually a prop, it's my lunch. :-)

COMBO SNACK/DINNER

• Chicken soup w/Collard greens (for hubby)
• Grilled steak, fresh tomato (for me)
• Strawberries
• WASA

Day 16 - Weight 122.6 (False Read) - NOT HUNGRY!

Today I missed my morning weigh-in and weighed myself after I'd had 2 glasses of water & my coffee. At that point, I was 122.6, which is .2 above where I was yesterday morning and exactly where I was a week ago. They say if you cheat, it takes three days to get back on track. We'll see...

This morning I took my husband to drop off his car at the mechanic and then on to work. On the way home, I hit the Farmers' Market in Laguna Hills. It's the only one they have on Fridays and it's right off the freeway on my way home from hubby's office. I bought the most beautiful strawberries, fresh picked spring greens mix, heirloom tomatoes, and asparagus. I also bought grapefruit, which looked fabulous. Unfortunately, I tried one for my morning snack and it turned out to be kind of sour. Bummer. I was really hoping someone would be selling fresh micro-greens but I didn't see any. I asked a few of the vendors and they said they didn't know of anyone selling them. I guess that's something I'll have to really appreciate when I'm in St. George because they have someone selling them at the Farmers' Market there on Saturdays.

IMPORTANT NEWS ALERT: I AM NOT HUNGRY TODAY. In fact, I cheated at dinner (extra protein, extra veggies) and actually felt stuffed. I don't know what happened, but I really like it. Maybe it's just because I'm feeling better. I definitely don't have any complaints.

LIQUIDS
2 liters water
2 cups coffee

SNACK
Grapefruit

LUNCH
Pre-cooked chicken w/ broth
Spinach (wilted w/ chicken broth)



SNACK
Apple

DINNER
Snapper, 150 grams
Asparagus, 150 grams
WASA

I cooked the snapper in the oven at 350 degrees for about 16 minutes with just a light salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice.

Day 15 - Weight 122.4 - Measurement Day

Weight: 122.4 (- 2 lbs.)
Bust: 34" (no change)
Waist: 26" (- 1")
Abdomen (read: GUT): 35" (- 1 3/4")
Saddlebags: 40 3/4" (- 3/4")
Left Thigh: 22" (- 1/2")
Right Thigh: 22" (-1")
Left Knee: 14 1/2" (-1/2")
Right Knee: 14 1/8" (-5/8")

TOTAL LOSSES for this week: 2 lbs., 6 1/8"

TOTAL LOSSES TO DATE: 6.6 lbs., 12 3/8"

I really can't believe how many inches I lost this last week. My weight did not reflect it and I thought the inches would look something like the weight lost. I'm so excited. Frankly, I don't care if I weigh 200 pounds if my measurements are what they should be for my body type! LOL! By the way, I don't think I ever published my height and I probably should have. I'm only 5'2" tall and wear a size 7 or 7 1/2 shoe. I'm pretty small boned - always have to have links taken out of bracelets or watches to have them fit my wrists, that kind of thing. When my son was about 4 years old, we could wear the same belt size. No kidding. I was on the largest hole and he was on one of the smaller ones, but still, most people could not share a belt with their 4-year-old. I'm not super skinny like Nicole Ritchie but I'm a fairly petite woman who isn't genetically supposed to be a size 8 or 10. Size 10 or 12 for a larger woman may be fit and fabulous. Size 6 for my frame and height is definitely too big, out of proportion, and not healthy for me going into the next half of my life.

Last night before I went to bed I took two Alka-Seltzer Night-Time Cold tabs, my over-the-counter med of choice for colds or flu. Beats Nyquil by miles! This infection has seemed to be moving into my head now and I really needed a good night's sleep. I slept great but when I woke up I felt both exhausted and disoriented. My husband had to get up and take Daphne out. Then I somehow thought it was Saturday (In reality, today is actually Thursday, the blog is a couple of days behind...) and wondered why dear hubby was up and taking a shower so early before I dropped back into a blissful deep sleep. At 7:00 a.m. when he walked over fully dressed in suit and tie, delivered Daphne to the bed and kissed me goodbye, I asked him where he was going. Only after he said he was going to work ("On Saturday?") did I realize that I was totally out of it. It was pretty funny and he laughed.

By about 7:30 I could tell that Daphne needed to get up and I got up and went about my day feeling much better and not tired at all. In fact, I really got quite a bit of serious work done around the house today re-organizing and transferring furniture between the office and the guest room and even doing a little bit of laundry. It felt so good to be accomplishing something.

By the late afternoon, though, I was getting pretty tired. I had overdone it. This is a commonly recurring theme for me in my life in general and particularly after I've been sick. (You just want to DO SOMETHING after you've been laying in bed for days!) Call me the "Queen of the Energy Burst."

LIQUID

• 2 liters water
• 1 C coffee
• 1 C black chai tea
• 1 C chamomile tea

SNACK

• 1/2 grapefruit

LUNCH

• Steak (recipe below)
• Tomato
• Melba toast

SNACK

• Apple
  

DINNER

• Steak Salad w/ Pre-cooked steak strips (for Hubby)
• Chicken Salad w/ pre-baked chicken (for me)
• WASA/Melba toast
  

I used the warm chicken "broth" as my salad dressing. Yum!



"INDIAN" STEAK & TOMATOES

• Steak
• Tomatoes, diced bite-size
• Garam masala, salt

Rub the steak with the garam masala. Place steak and tomatoes on tin foil and salt to taste. Wrap foil tightly into a sealed pocket. Cook over grill pan at high heat for about 3 minutes. unwrap immediately and serve.

Garam masala is actually a blend of spices. The name is derived from the the Hindi garam, meaning "hot" and masala, "paste." There is no one blend that makes up garam masala because it varies regionally throughout India. However, commercially produced garam masala often contains: pepper (black & white), bay leaf, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, and turmeric. The spice mixture is ground but not roasted and the flavors only truly come alive with heat. Indian food is known for slow cooking and the true fabulousness of the spice will not come alive in a three-minute dish. Still, I enjoyed the difference from a traditional grill salt or BBQ flavoring on the steak and the spice combination worked well with the tomato.

(This photo was taken from the Wikipedia site).

Day 14 - Weight ??? - Tea

Obviously, I'm still sick and today is the second day of my Z-pack. I had a horrible night. I coughed continually until I basically had to sleep partially sitting up. Then Daphne woke up at 5:50 a.m. needing to go out and then again at 6:17 a.m. Today would be the day that she doesn't sleep until 7 a.m.? Urgh! Although I'm tired, the rest of the day went OK, and I was able to take a nap for about an hour this afternoon.

I did weigh myself this morning but got sidetracked and didn't tally it. Weight for today? Who knows.... Tomorrow is measurement day, so I know I won't forget that! I'm worried that I haven't done well this week; cheating, being sick, etc. Tomorrow we'll know. Let's not ruin today.

LIQUIDS

• 2 liters water
• 1 C coffee
• 1 C Yerba Mate tea
• 1 C black chai tea
  

I ruined my first cup of coffee this morning trying the Stevia again. I'm sticking with black for the rest of my life, I guess. I just can't seem to get the amount of Stevia right, or I just don't like the taste, or....? I don't know. My husband really likes it and won't need to go back to sugar when he's done with the diet. He is going to stick with the Stevia. He definitely still misses a little milk, though, and he's planning to add that back in when this is all over.

The last couple of days, while I've been sick, I haven't been drinking all the liquids that I'm supposed to. I know that's affecting my weight loss and I'm trying to get back on track. I also haven't been keeping a tally and that's why I haven't listed the data in my last posts. I have been drinking alot of Traditional Medicinals Teas over the last couple of days.


These teas are a staple at our house and I highly recommend them for both their quality and efficacy.

SNACK

• Strawberries
• Melba toast
• Yerba Mate tea

Yerba Mate is one of the recommended teas on the diet. It's both a bit bland and a bit bitter for my taste. Drunk while eating the strawberries, though, it was actually quite nice. The natural sweetness really complimented the tea.

LUNCH

• Chicken (recipe below)
• Spinach

DINNER

• Hamburger (ground sirloin)
• Spinach (wilted gently)

CHICKEN & SPINACH "SAUTE"

• Chicken, cut in small bite-size pieces
  
• Spinach
• 1/2 C water
• Lemon pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder

Add chicken, spices and water in non-stick pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Add spinach and toss until wilted, about 1 minute. Serve. This dish really needed a pick-me-up! I splashed a bit of Bragg's & a bit of lemon juice over the finished product which made it a little too salty but still tasty. Next time I will eliminate the Bragg's and just use about a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Cooking in such small increments and with such limited ingredients has created some unique problems in the kitchen. The most obvious is time. When such small amounts are used, your time is decreased. Baking and cooking times are slashed drastically when only 100 grams of protein has to be cooked through, both in the oven and on the stovetop. The capacity to overcook is a real threat. :-)

More importantly from a taste perspective is the elimination of "slow cooking" techniques completely. For example, when you only use 1 cup of liquid because your amount of protein will only flavor one cup of liquid you are limited in what you can do with your flavors. When making a soup, you can't afford to lose any of your liquid to evaporation so everything must be done quickly. You never end up with robust and deep flavors because your spicing has not had time to seep into the liquid and the protein and blend together to create a new flavor palette. It doesn't mean that the food can't be very tasty, but it can't compete with a slow cooked meal.

When this diet is over and the weighing is done, I'll be able to modify these recipes and continue to cook fat free in many instances with flavors much superior to, and more subtle than, the ones achieved during the diet. I'm looking forward to it.

Day 13 - Weight 123.6 - Hunger Subsiding...

OK. I'm definitely still sick and this does not appear to be something that my body can kick on its own. This morning I headed out to the South Coast Family Medi-Center in Laguna Niguel where I was fortunate to see Dr. Michael Kent. He was terrific. A combination of intelligence and efficiency coupled with that "small town family doctor" feeling. Perfect. I have to admit that I don't have a medical doctor that I see regularly. I'm (knock on wood!) a pretty healthy girl. I have a naturopath that I've seen over the years, a chiropractor that I love (because when he treats you, you don't have to see him all the time!), and an NAET practitioner that really helped me out last year in treating me for allergenic responses that I was having. I'm not against doctors or modern medicine but I prefer a natural route if I can take one and I believe that a good deal of good health is grounded in a healthy diet, lifestyle, and emotional well-being. Let's face it, in Europe they eat high fat foods, smoke, and drink alcohol and yet they are healthier than we are here in the U.S. I believe it is because they are happier. Happiness counts!

Back to Dr. Kent. South Coast Family is a practice that takes walk-ins and is run efficiently by a bright and friendly staff. The only other time I've been there is when my son needed a sports physical last fall. Both times, the wait was less than 10 minutes and it's only about 10 minutes drive from my house. Can't beat that. Dr. Kent said I have pharyngitis (read: throat infection) with laryngitic symptoms and that even though I can feel myself breathing into my lungs, my lungs sound clear. Good news. He prescribed a Z-pack and I was on my way.

I dropped off my scrip, ran a few quick grocery needs errands, picked up my Z-pack and headed home to collapse into bed with my dear sweet dogs who have been so fabulous about me being sick. They just lounge on the bed and are so well-behaved. That's not surprising for Zoe, who is 7-years-old. But for Daphne, not even 6 months, life is usually quite active and bouncy. She's been amazingly calm and sweet. Dogs have a sense about things. Just one more reason to adore them.

I'm not really hungry today. In fact, from a hunger perspective, I'm feeling pretty back-to-normal so I've decided to go back to breaking up my snacks and meals. I know that feeding the body more often is better - in general and for losing weight.

SNACK

• 1/2 Grapefruit
• Melba Toast

LUNCH

• Chicken breast
• Spinach

I added 1/4 C of water to the baking dish and seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and Thai Spice; baked in 375 degrees oven for 15 mins. Then I poured the liquid from the chicken over the spinach and microwaved the spinach (covered) for 1 minute. Very tasty.

SNACK

• Grapefruit
• Melba toast

DINNER

• Halibut (150 grams)
• Greens, steamed in water with a splash of Bragg's Aminos
• 1/2 Grapefruit
• Melba toast
  

I prepared the halibut in a tin foil pack with 1 TBSP lemon, salt, and pepper and baked it in a 350 degree oven for 18 minutes. It tasted very clean and simple but delicious.

If you're paying attention you can see that I cheated in three ways today. One, I ate grapefruit for both my snacks. Two, I upped my protein portion for dinner by 50 grams. And, three, I ate an additional 1/2 grapefruit for dinner. Why? Well, first off, I was craving the grapefruit and that makes sense to me because it's loaded in vitamin C and my body needs that to help it fight off this infection. I'm not going to deny my body what it needs to be well. If my body is healthy, it will continue to lose weight/inches as appropriate over the term of this diet. The reason for the halibut was a little more decadent. The guy at the butcher counter wasn't really able to measure well (that's a completely different sad commentary on the state of education in this country....) and over-did the pieces. So, I decided that perhaps fate wanted me to have a little more protein tonight. LOL! Well, it was a weighing mistake and I felt like eating it for a little splurge. So did Michael. It was delicious.

Day 12 - Weight 123.6

I stuck to protocol all day today but I didn't write anything down, so nothing to write about on the menu front because....

I am very sick. Horrible sore throat, hacking dry cough, aching head, E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D. I laid in bed all day, only getting up to let the dogs out or fix my meals. I had hoped that letting my body completely rest would give it a boost to kick this throat thing but I am starting to feel myself breathing into my lungs. If I am not considerably better in the morning, I'm off to the doctor.

Last night my husband dreamed that he was eating a juicy chicken kabob with Persian rice and that it was so delicious and satisfying. Then suddenly, he freaked out with a sinking feeling, "Oh, no, I'm not supposed to be eating this!" The really funny thing is this: In the over ten years that I have known my husband, he has never remembered a dream that he had. This really IS a powerful diet. LOL!

Day 11: Weight 123.4 - Lots of Recipes

.4 That's my weight gain for yesterday. I'll take it because I was really hungry and that's how things go. But today I'm worse than hungry. I'm sick. Sore throat, heavy head, achy body. Urgh! I really don't think that this has anything to do with the diet. My husband had this same illness a couple of weeks ago. And my sister-in-law ended up having it really bad, too. I guess it's my turn... I have no idea what effect the illness will have on the diet, though. I've sent hubby and son on to church without me. But there's a big planning meeting after church that I need to be at. I'm going to rest up today and see if I can kick it in the pants before it really gets a headstart. Then I'll head to the meeting and sit in the back so I don't give anyone else the "gift" of my illness. :-)

COMBO LUNCH/SNACK

• Apple
• WASA
• I had leftover chicken and broth from yesterday with steamed spinach (recipe below)
• Hubby had a Bison green salad (recipe below)

COMBO SNACK/DINNER

• Apple (oops! same as lunch)
• Hubby had Steak & Asparagus soup (recipe below)
• I had Shrimp & Tomato soup (recipe below)

I took our lunches with me to the meeting, so they needed to be something that would travel well and still be yummy when I arrived. It worked. Both dishes turned out great.

BISON GREEN SALAD

• Bison, ground and browned
• Organic spring greens salad mix
• Vinaigrette Blend: Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, cinnamon

Brown the bison lightly. Like beef, bison doesn't have to be cooked to death. Leave the chunks in the pan larger rather than smaller. In a separate bowl toss the greens with the vinaigrette blend. Add warm bison and toss gently.


CHICKEN & SPINACH

• Baked Chicken with broth (see Day 10 post)
  
• Asparagus

I made extras of the baked chicken yesterday so they would be ready portions for lunches, etc. Place the chicken and broth in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Add the whole spinach leaves on top. Cover with a paper towel and then cover that lightly with Saran Wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute 20 second. The spinach is lightly wilted with the broth and tastes delicious. This is one of my favorite things I've made so far.


STEAK & ASPARAGUS SOUP

• Steak, cut in bite-size pieces
  
• Asparagus, cut in 1/4" lengths
• 2 Cups water
  
• Grill Salt, salt, lemon pepper, pinch of mint (dried), sprinkle of herbs de provence, turmeric, dash of Bragg's Aminos, garlic powder

Brown steak with dried seasonings in hot pan, about 1 minute. De-glaze with Bragg's. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer and add asparagus. Cook until asparagus is very soft. Using a potato masher, mash the asparagus to release the fibers and thicken the soup a bit. Pieces will still be whole, not completely macerated.


SHRIMP & TOMATO SOUP

• Shrimp, cut into thirds
  
• Tomatoes diced
• 1 C hot water
• Lemon juice
  
• 1 C water
• Bragg's Aminos, garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. sea rock salt, chili pepper
  
• Cholula
  

Marinate the shrimp in lemon juice and hot water in a glass bowl. In seperate pan over medium heat, add seasonings, tomatoes, and additional cup of water. Simmer very gently for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and marinade mixture to pan. Simmer on low until shrimp is heated through. Serve and add Cholula to taste. (This dish was a little blah. The precooked shrimp is easy and fast but it had hardly any flavor. I'll finish the bag but won't buy it again. I'm used to fresh shrimp and I didn't realize the difference. Still, you have to mix it up and this dish was OK and very edible. Just not very "wow!")

Day 10 - Weight 123 - To Cheat or Not to Cheat - Bison & Cabbage Soup

I didn't sleep well last night and this morning I woke up with a sore throat and a general feeling of being "under the weather," tired, and more than a little cranky. Read: witchy with a "b." Oh, and an overwhelming feeling of "I AM STARVING!!!!" It's the first day that I've actually woken up already hungry. I think for the people that I know that eat breakfast within minutes of waking, they would be hungry every morning of this diet. I don't eat breakfast anyway and I think it's really helped me with the whole "not eating until noon" thing. But why isn't it getting easier? 10 days? It seems like the body would be adjusting.

So, the truth is... I cheated today. My definition of cheating is different than my husband's. (But then what's new there? Isn't men and women's definition of cheating always different? lol!) First of all, I made a decision to cheat. I knew what I was doing. Second, I didn't go "off protocol" as far as foods go. I didn't eat anything that was forbidden: sugar, starch, fat. Instead I decided that I simply didn't want to feel this hungry today. Frankly, I haven't felt this hungry any other day on the diet. It felt weird. Almost like something was wrong. Not scary wrong. But "off" somehow. OK, so how did I cheat? You can see it on the menu...

SNACK - Eaten at 10am, not 11:30 like I usually do.

• Grapefruit
  
• WASA bread

LUNCH

• 110 grams of Chicken
• Asparagus, steamed in salted water

I marinated the chicken for 30 mins. in 3 TBSP lemon juice, spray of Bragg's Aminos, Thai Spice, about 1/8th of a cup of hot water. Then I baked it in a 375 degrees oven in a covered baking dish for 20 mins. While I was waiting for my oversized chicken portion to cook, I took my second cheat: I ate two bites of steak out of the fridge. Yesterday, I had pre-grilled a steak so that it would be ready for my husband to take it to work for his lunch. I don't know what I was thinking because today is Saturday and he doesn't need to take a lunch anywhere. (All the days are just blending together, I guess). So, today that steak, all sliced up and ready to put on top of a salad, is sitting in the refrigerator staring at me. Now I'm staring back. Now I'm reaching for it and... BOOM! In one day, or wait, in one hour, I've upped my planned protein portion, I've "snacked" on other food, and I've mixed my proteins. Know what? I don't feel bad about it. I'm too hungry to care.

SNACK

• Apple
  

DINNER - Bison Cabbage Soup

• Bison, ground
• 110 grams of Cabbage
• WASA bread
  

I made a soup by simply browning the bison in the pan with pepper, garlic powder and Sambal Ulek. For my husband's I substituted Thai Spice for the too spicy Sambal Ulek. I deglazed the pan with a shot of Bragg's Aminos and then added 3 C of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and hold for about 6-8 mins. Add the chopped cabbage and continue to simmer until the cabbage is soft.

The soup was delicious mostly because the bison can hold it's own. (Remember when I made the Asian flavors fish soup and the fish wasn't really powerful enough to give the broth much flavor?) Hubby and I both learned the value of adding water to our meal - it's alot more filling. I'll definitely be having more soup for the remainder of the diet. Before I started cooking dinner, I ate another bite of steak out of the fridge. I figured that I already cheated today and I might as well make it count.

Oh yeah, I said that my husband doesn't really think I cheated. Why is that? Well, he thinks that only going "off"the diet with banned foods would really be cheating. While I agree that it would definitely be worse, breaking the rules is still breaking the rules. I know I may have to pay for it. At AmaraMedSpa they said that if you cheat, it takes about three days, staying on the strict protocol of course, to get back on track. Basically, three days wasted. I realize that this is mostly for people who go out and have a "real" meal. Still, I will have to see what happens to me because of my "indiscretions."

Tonight I found a disturbing blog. It's called Fat Loss Chronicles . It documents one woman's journey on the HCG diet and it didn't go well for her. It's the first really negative story I've heard about HCG. There are some things, though, about the diet protocol that she was on that are totally different than Dr. Simeon's Protocol or the diet program that I was prescribed at Amara. Some really big differences that I noticed were:

1. Amara requires that you take a daily multivitamin supplement AND a presciption potassium supplement. Near the end of the diet, she mentions taking magnesium and potassium supplements but I don't know if she took them throughout and she makes no mention of a daily multi-vitamin.
   
2. You must be mixing up your food intake, eating different proteins and vegetables at each meal every day as well as choosing broadly from the choices given on the protocol. This woman ate chicken as her protein of choice for nearly every meal, never ate beef or fish, and most commonly ate the same vegetable for fruits and vegetables for both snacks and both lunches/dinners. (The only times she didn't eat chicken she substituted with off-protocol items like cottage cheese or egg whites).
   
3. She regularly ate fruits and vegetables that are strictly NOT on the protocol. Oranges and broccoli are big no-no's and she ate them alot. Lots of sugar...
4. She ate breakfast.
   
5. Sadly, she was coming down with a cold before she even started the diet and fought that illness throughout most of the diet.
6. She really counted calories. I haven't counted calories at all. I've weighed my food religiously and, OTHER THAN TODAY, eaten exactly what I was prescribed on the protocol. Nothing more. Nothing less.
   

Overall, it seems that the diet did not work for her. That's concerning to me and I feel bad for her, too. If I went through all of this and didn't have better results than she had, I would be really upset. I've already lost almost as many inches as she did in her entire first cycle. So, clearly we're doing something very different. We better be.

Day 9 - Weight 122.4 - Bison vs. Beef?

Today was the first day on the diet that I thought of cheating. It's been nine days and it seems like it should be getting easier. Not so. It almost seems harder. Maybe my body is catching on to the whole charade. Something like, "Hey! We aren't actually getting anything to eat!" I don't know.

LIQUIDS
2 C coffee, 1 C Chai tea, 2 liters water


COMBO SNACK/LUNCH

• Grapefruit
• Melba toast (for me), WASA bread (for hubby)
• Steak seared on grill pan & Spring Greens (for hubby) / Asparagus (for me)

COMBO SNACK/DINNER

• Apple
• Melba / WASA
• Hamburger w/ a touch of Bison (salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic powder)
  
• Tomatoes, diced w/ lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, Herbs de Provence

For dinner, I didn't have quite enough of the super lean ground beef to make the 100 gram portions for both my husband and I. I opened a pack of ground bison and added a little bit to each portion to equal a total of 100 grams of protein. It turned out to be about 30 grams of bison/70 grams of 91% lean ground (Laura's). The bison is much more dense than a typical ground beef. There's not quite as much difference between the bison and the super lean but still it's a bit more "meaty." The blend was delicious.

I bought the bison thinking it was on the approved list. Somehow I just had it in my head. It has less fat & calories than beef and is higher in protein, iron, and B12. But it isn't actually on Dr. Simeon's protocol. I'm guessing there weren't many bison available for eating in late 1960's Italy. I'm going to go ahead and finish the package that I bought but I won't buy it again while on the diet. I'm definitely going to choose bison more often after the diet is over. It's a really smart protein choice. The USDA stats on bison as compared with other proteins are below.

	Fat (grams )	Calories (kcal)	Cholesterol (mg)	Iron (mg)	Vitamin B12 (mcg)
Bison	2.42	143	82	3.42	2.86
Beef (choice)	10.15	219	86	2.99	2.65
Beef (select)	8.09	201	86	2.99	2.64
Pork	9.66	212	86	1.1	0.75
Chicken (skinless)	7.41	190	89	1.21	0.33
Sockeye Salmon	10.97	216	87	0.55	5.80
Source: USDA

A few housekeeping items....

• All the recipe ingredients are the amounts allowed on the Simeon Protocol unless otherwise noted. For example, Grapefruit means 1/2 grapefruit, Steak means 1-100 gram portion, Tomatoes means a 100-gram portion.
  
• You can find WASA at your local grocery store in the snacks/crackers section. I couldn't find Melba toast anywhere at any store in St. George but I don't have any problem getting them in OC.
• Stephanie brought up an interesting point. AmaraMedSpa doesn't include the Melba toast on their diet. I got that from the original protocol and didn't realize until I was about a week into the diet that it was missing on the Amara diet. I can't imagine eating less than I am eating. lol! And I'm losing both weight and inches. I'm keeping it in.
  
• Yes, pictures are coming. I know I'm behind. I started the blog before I really thought everything through that I might want to put on it.

Day 8 - Weight 123.6

I still haven't figured out the best way to plan for my husband's lunch. Today I took our lunch/snack combo to his office and we ate together in the conference room. I felt a bit like I needed those travel hot packs that the food delivery guys use. I don't have one of those, though. So I made do with bits of this and that; like the wine server/picnic basket and my big Whole Foods re-usable grocery bag. I even took real plates, silverware, and napkins. It's funny how you get used to conversing over a meal. When your meal is only a few bites, there's more conversation. There's nothing else to do. lol! It was very nice. ha ha ha

My girlfriend was in town today. She flew into John Wayne airport from Phoenix because she had some meetings down in Carlsbad after which we could hang out and catch up. First she came by the house so that she could meet Daphne, our new puppy, and then we headed to the Starbucks on MacArthur for about an hour before her flight. Originally, we had planned to have dinner together at McCormick & Schmidt's or El Torito Grill near the airport on Main. My diet pretty much nixed that idea. I prepped the dinner and took it with me. She had the Starbuck's protein plate. Believe me, it looked fabulous. I was nearly drooling over that hard boiled egg. I don't even like hard boiled eggs. Ridiculous!

LUNCH/SNACK COMBO

• Chicken breast & Spinach w/ lemon pepper, lemon juice, water (Wrapped together in tin foil and cooked in 350 degree oven for 20 mins.)
• Apple & Melba Toast

This dish was over cooked. The spinach didn't fare well cooked this way & I won't do it again. It nearly disappeared....

DINNER/SNACK COMBO

• Crab & 3 Shrimp Ceviche marinated for 30 mins. in lemon juice, Sambal Ulek, & salt with EITHER spring salad greens (my husband) or onions (me).

I didn't have quite enough crab left for both my husband and I. I added three shrimp to each serving to make each an even 100 grams. I recommend that if you make the ceviche that I had, with the onions, you have whoever you'll be kissing eat the same one. 100 grams of onions, even mild purple ones, is a significant portion of onions. It stays with you. I'm just sayin'...

Melba vs. WASA

My husband has been eating WASA Crispbread with his snacks instead of Melba Toast and today I made that substitution, too. I didn't ask the doctor if that was OK. I have seen that other HCG personal blogs list it as something that they do. I guess I just went ahead and made an executive decision.


WASA is a Swedish crispbread that is made with whole grains. It is almost tasteless and I never liked it without something yummy like artichoke spread or cream cheese on it. My husband always has some in the house. It's very commonly eaten in Europe and I suppose he got very used to eating it when he lived & went to college in Germany. He eats it with sour cherry jam or with butter and fresh herbs or with feta.

There are several reasons that I thought this substitution was in keeping with both the rule and the spirit of Dr. Simeon's protocol. For one, WASA is very high in dietary fiber, 2 grams vs. Melba's 1 gram per serving, and I have more than an inkling that the need for fiber on this diet is the reason that the Melba toast (or breadstick) was included in the protocol. Second, WASA is lower in overall calories by almost half; WASA 35 cal. vs. Melba 60 cal. Melba has WASA beat in fat, though. One slice of WASA has 0.5 grams of fat. Melba has none. WASA's fat is non-saturated and non-trans, which is very good, but it's still fat. WASA has 60 mg of sodium vs. Melba's whopping 110 mg - it's easy to see who wins by a longshot in the salt category.

Overall, I would have to say that the WASA is healthier and should be a good substitute for the Melba toast. My husband is going to stick with the WASA full time and I'm going to trade off depending on what I feel like having for that meal or snack.

Did you know that Melba toast was named for the same person that the dessert Peach Melba was named after? Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian opera singer. It is thought that when she became somewhat ill the toast was made for her by her personal chef and became a staple of her diet thereafter. He created the Peach Melba, too. It would have been awfully nice if that had become a staple of the diet instead of the toast.


The crazy thing is, I've learned to like them both - the Melba toast and the WASA, that is. I never thought I'd be so darn happy to eat something that tastes like cardboard. This diet really changes your perspectives, hmmm?

Day 7 - Weight 124.4 - Cabbage Rolls

OK, here's the scoop. It's been one week. I've lost a total of 4.6 pounds and 6.25 inches. Here's how the measurements went:

Weight: 124.4 lbs. (-4.6 lbs.)
Bust: 34" (-1")
Waist: 27" (-1.75")
Abdomen (read: GUT): 36.75" (-2.25")
Saddlebags: 41.5" (-.5")
Left Thigh: 22.5" (-.5")
Right Thigh" 23" (no change)
Left Knee: 15" (no change)
Right Knee: 15" (-.25")

Yes, you read that correctly. I LOST 2.25" OF GUT FAT! (It sounds gross because it is gross). But losing it feels fabulous, fabulous, F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! It is definitely motivation to continue.

LIQUIDS

• 2 C coffee, 2 liters water, 1 C Chai tea (Not the yummy kind you get at Starbucks with the milk in it. Just the Indian tea with spices added).

COMBO SNACK/LUNCH

• Grapefruit & WASA Crispbread
  
• Dover Sole
• Beet Greens/Asparagus

I didn't have a full 100 grams of either veggie, so I combined the two. This is a no-no and definitely against the diet rules. I cooked the sole in 1 C water with pinch of Thai Spice*, Salt, Pepper, and 2 TBSP lemon juice. Sole is very thin so it cooks very quickly. Then I added the greens and asparagus and cooked the "soup" on medium heat just until the veggies were tender, about 2-3 minutes.

My husband had the Crab Salad w/ Strawberries for lunch and he really liked it. He called me from work to tell me he had eaten his appetizer and to ask me when his entree was arriving... lol!

SNACK

• Grapefruit (I ate this right before dinner)

DINNER

• Cabbage Rolls (recipe below)
  
• WASA Crispbread
  

This dinner would make a really yummy appetizer. I've never done stuffed cabbage before and I struggled with getting the leaves off in one piece. If you were cooking for a "real" meal, you could steam the entire head, halves, or quarters. For the diet, because you have to weigh the cabbage uncooked before cooking, you have to try to separate the leaves to get an accurate reading. So, I didn't have very large & lovely cabbage leaves to stuff and roll with the filling. Still, it was delicious. As always, not enough bites.... sigh....

CABBAGE ROLLS

• Cabbage, whole leaves as possible, 100 grams
• Laura's Lean Beef ground beef (91% lean)
• Salt & Pepper
• Bragg's Amino Acids
• Garlic Powder
• Sambal Ulek

Steam the cabbage with water and a generous splash of Bragg's until just soft & pliable, not mushy. Brown the ground beef with the spices. (I added the Sambal Ulek to mine but not to Michael's. He's not as crazy about the spicy food as I am). Lay out the soft leaves on the plate and put about 1 teaspon of ground beef "filling" into center. If your leaves are too small, you may need to lay two or three together, just overlapping the edges so they stay together as you roll. Then fold in the ends over the filling and roll into a little "burrito" shape. For me, it was just like making dolmathes (a common Greek dish using grape leaves as the shell and filled with flavored rice and sometimes meat). You can eye your leaves and filling to spread the filling out equally. Some of my rolls came out beautifully and some didn't. I ended up with about 4 small rolls per person. I have to admit that while the cabbage rolls tasted delicious, it was a pretty sad looking plate.

One thing I fast realized about doing this diet with someone else - it's not really easier to cook for two instead of one like it is in real life. With the HCG Diet, it's actually twice the work. Each portion has to be weighed separately, cooked separately, and served separately. That's something I hadn't really considered. Also, when my husband leaves for work he needs to take his lunch with him. So, that means I'm getting up earlier in the morning to cook & prep his lunch even though I won't be eating for several hours. I've got to figure out a better way to plan this. Maybe I'll pre-cook some meat portions and have them in the refrigerator so he can mix them with salad greens. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do but there's a better way to do this and I'll figure it out.

Day 6 - Weight 124.6: Crab Salad w/ Strawberries

I'm a few days into the diet now and it's time to get back into the swing of real life. I had lots of errands and things to do today. I don't usually think about food very often. When your diet is both severely limited and on a time schedule, you almost have to think about your food ALL the time. You have to eat on time. Your snacks have to be a minimum of 6 hours apart. You have to eat THIS food now and THIS food later. I can see where the diet would be really challenging for people who are on the road, keep a challenging social calendar, meet with clients over meals, etc. Most of the time I can set my own schedule so it should be easier for me than most. Today was a bit of a logistical challenge but, as far as how my body was feeling, I actually felt very satisfied all day from a hunger standpoint. And today's food was really yummy and satisfying.

The hardest thing about being out all day was the liquid intake. If you are drinking the amount of water you are supposed to be drinking on this diet, then you are peeing all the time! Sometimes every 5-10 minutes. That sounds extreme but sometimes it's the reality. If you aren't going to be near an acceptable facility, you don't drink as much water. It's hard for me to get in that much water as it is. But today I didn't meet the quota and I know that's not a good thing.

LIQUIDS

• 1 1/2 C coffee, 1 1/2 L water (Hopefully, I'll pick it back up tomorrow!)

COMBINED SNACK/LUNCH

• Crab salad w/ Strawberries & Spring Greens (recipe below)
  
• Melba Toast

COMBINED SNACK/DINNER

• Hamburger (Laura's Lean Beef) w/ salt, pepper, Sambal Ulek*
• Steamed asparagus (pour 1 TBSP lemon juice over when served)
  
• Melba Toast
• 1 Apple

Laura's super lean ground beef doesn't even leave a fat trace on the pan. It's leaner than your butcher's ground sirloin, and Laura's Lean Beef cattle are raised on family farms, on all natural grains and grasses with no animal by-products, and without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones. I believe strongly in eating foods that are "clean" whenever possible even though I'm not a fanatic about it. At AmaraMedSpa they, too, stressed the importance of choosing organic produce and meats. Laura's fits the bill perfectly and she's been doing it since 1985. Kudos to Laura Freeman. Some people just make the world a better place.

I find Laura's at my local Albertson's. I wish they carried it at Henry's but no luck there. They were out of the sirloin when I was shopping so I picked up the 91% lean. One thing I notice about Laura's that's really important, the full flavor of the beef is there even though the fat is absent. You can't beat that. You can learn more about them or where to purchase in your area here ( http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/ )

The crab "salad" I ate yesterday was really just crab with minced onions and some spice. Today, I actually made a delicious entree, even though by it's size you'd probably have to call it an appetizer. I'd order it from a menu as my appetizer any day.

CRAB & STRAWBERRY SALAD

• Crab (fresh, not frozen, lump crab meat) - 100 grams
  
• Strawberries (fresh, de-stemmed, chopped in 8ths) - 100 grams
• Leafy, organic spring green mix
• Vinaigrette Dressing (3 TBSP Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 dash Cholula, Salt, Pepper)

Toss greens with Vinaigrette. Add crab and strawberries and toss lightly with fork. The sweetness of the strawberries takes on the apple cider vinegar perfectly. Yum.

*Sambal Ulek is one of those wonder-spice blends that I fall back on time and time again. Sambal Ulek is a fiery blend used in the cuisines of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. You can probably tell by now that I like spicy food. That's true but I've noticed even more on this diet how important it is that the food is really flavorful. You can't make it up in quantity. You need to taste the strong flavors of the food in order to feel as if you've had something. The Sambal Ulek is made from Chili pepper, Cayenne, Paprika and Garlic. There's no sugar and no salt. I buy mine from a little organic spice company here in California called Spicely ( http://www.spicely.com/ ).


They sell spices in tiny little boxes, usually no more than .6 ounces. They are certified organic and gluten free. They're protecting the environment by cutting out the unnecessary packaging (plastic and glass) that are usually used in the modern "spice trade" and their boxes are made from 100% recycled paper. Also, because you are buying smaller quantities your spices are always fresh and potent. And they are very reasonably priced. They've a number of blends that are very good, as well, like the Thai Spice. We'll save that for another day.

Blog Hang-ups & Housekeeping Issues

I've been having alot of trouble with the code on this site. I used a free template that doesn't seem to be fully integrated with Blogger. No one is being allowed to comment and some of the features aren't showing up at all. I have someone looking at the code today and, hopefully, he'll fix everything and we'll be up and running!

Day 5 - Weight 125: Choosing Cholula

Lost 2.2 pounds since yesterday? Yes! It's so exciting to get on the scale in the morning.

Today was much easier than yesterday. I changed things up a bit by eating my "Snacks" with my meals. That seemed to help alot on the psychological front. I felt like I was eating more, having more bites, etc. And I definitely felt more full when I was done eating.

LIQUIDS

• 2 C coffee, 2 liters water

SNACK/LUNCH COMBO

• Apple
• Melba Toast
• Crab w/ Onion (minced), 2 TBSP Lemon juice, salt, pepper, Dash of Frank's RedHotWing Sauce)

SNACK/DINNER COMBO

• Strawberries
• Melba Toast
• Steak seared on grill with "Grill Salt"
• Beet greens steamed w/splash of Bragg Aminos

When I first tried the crab salad for lunch it was really aching for something to give it a bite. I thought of Frank's and it worked great. I knew it was cheating but, hey...



After lunch I went through the refrigerator and cupboards looking for "acceptable" spices I could use. Finding no cal, no fat, no sugar options is important on the diet but if I find something I really like there's no reason I shouldn't be using it all the time. Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing sauce is obviously intended for chicken wings and it serves its purpose well. In our house we rarely ever make chicken wings but we love Frank's on other things. Particularly pizza. My brother-in-law turned us onto it a few years ago and it's almost hard to eat pizza now without Franks. Frank's has 5 calories and 460 mg of sodium per tablespoon. That's alot of salt! Frank's also has canola oil listed as an ingredient but it says 0% fat per serving. I'm not giving up on my Frank's but I won't keep using it during the diet.

Another option we use at home is Sriracha. It's used most commonly in Vietnamese cooking and it's hard to find food that doesn't taste good with Sriracha.


Sriracha sauce is named from the sriracha chilis it's made from. Sriracha has a teensy bit of a sweet taste so I wasn't surprised when I saw sugar listed as the third ingredient. A one teaspoon serving has 1 gram of sugar, 5 calories, and 60 mg of salt. Doing better on the salt on this one. But the HCG Diet allows NO SUGAR. So, there won't be any Sriracha in my life for the next 30 days or so. After that, I'll keep that sugar content in mind. It had never even crossed my mind before.

I ended up deciding that from here on out on the diet I'll use the best "hot sauce" that's ever been made. It beats Tabasco by miles. Cholula.


Cholula gives you all the heat & the spice you crave from your hot sauce but the heat is wrapped up in the flavor. In many pepper sauces, the heat IS the flavor. Not so with Cholula. After reading the label, I appreciated my Cholula even more. The ingredients are few and simple: Vinegar, Red peppers, Piquin peppers, Salt, Spices, Edible food stabilizer. No sugar. No fats or oils. And with only 20mg of sodium per teaspoon, it beats sriracha by 40 mg. Need another helpful fact? No calories. At all. While I chose Franks today because it was my first thought, and I'll use it on my pizza when I'm allowed to have pizza again, I'm definitely going with my Cholula from here on out. It was kind of cool to see that my favorite hot sauce was also such a healthy choice.

Day 4 - Weight 127.2: Asian Flavors Soup

I'm up really early this morning because I'm headed back home to California today. Alarm goes off at 4:30am and I am up and running. I like to leave early because I get home before mid-day and it's easy to get back into the swing of things. Today, I have an added excuse because I want to get home before I need to eat my lunch. We usually stop to eat in Primm or Barstow because that's where we fill up on gas and take "the girls," our dogs, out for a little rest-stop experience. For seven years, we've only had Zoe, our cockapoo, but now we've also got Daphne, our little red toy poodle. I won't be able to eat anything at a restaurant or fast food place during that stop, so I'll take my apple and melba toast with me to snack on in case I really feel like I can't make it for the whole 6-hour drive.

I gained 2/10ths of a pound since yesterday and I don't know why. Maybe the water is balancing out? I'm not worried, though. Just keep on keepin' on.

A funny thing happened on the way home during our stop at the California "Border" Agricultural Inspection. I say "border" because it's not at the border or even close to it. It's quite a ways past Baker. Well, we get stopped and the inspector asks if we are only bringing the one dog in the front seat into California and I say, "No, we actually have two," and I point to our new puppy in the back seat on my son's lap. She says "Oh, OK," and asks if we are bringing any produce. I tell her that I am and that I have apples, spinach, and lettuce from Costco. Then she asks, "Where are the apples from?" I look quizzical and say, "Ummm, they're just from Costco." She says, "But where are they actually FROM?" And I say, "I have no idea where they were grown." She says, "But you're sure you bought them at Costco?" I assure her that I am quite sure that I bought them at Costco and she tells me that there are some fruit bugs going around right now but she is sure my apples are fine. I thank her and she waves me through. And I wonder about how she didn't learn any additional information about my apples but suddenly she is sure that they are fine. Oh, well...

We're home by 10:30am (you gain an hour heading back to Cali) and it feels good to be home. But C-O-L-D! How can we be having such cold weather in June? We always have June-Gloom but this is ridiculous. I'll have to put an extra blanket on the bed!

Michael got his B-12 shot today, so he'll have his first HCG injection tomorrow and start his two loading days. As for me, as soon as the car is unpacked and the dogs are settled in (this house is a whole new environment for Daphne, who we've had now for only 6 days) - I NEED to have my snack. Today's diet looked like this:

LIQUIDS
2 C coffee, 2 liters water, 1 C Yerba Mate tea

SNACK
Strawberries & Melba Toast

LUNCH
Steak in tin-foil w/ 1 TBSP lemon juice, salt, pepper
Asparagus, steamed with water (Pour liquid from cooked steak over asparagus on plate to serve)

SNACK
Apple & Melba Toast

DINNER
Asian Flavors Soup (Recipe below)

Every recipe I am including here is made up by me, mostly on the fly. Which literally means I am making it up as I am making my meal . It may turn out great, fine, or not-so-great. Later, I am planning to take pictures of the meals but I need to get my camera together for that. Hopefully, soon.

ASIAN FLAVORS SOUP

• Shrimp, cooked (I buy them pre-cooked, frozen. Cut the tails off shrimp while frozen and before weighing. Why weigh what you aren't going to eat? After thawing, slip off the little bit of shell that is left at the tip. This way none of the shrimp meat is wasted)
  
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• Pinch Red Pepper, ground
• Spray Bragg Aminos
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 C Water
• Lettuce, Romaine
  

Warm first six ingredients over medium-high heat. Add lettuce and turn heat to low. Cook for 2-3 minutes until lettuce is soft. (It's quicker to use pre-cooked shrimp but you could easily cook the shrimp in the first step. It would only take a few more minutes).

Rating: Not great and not bad. It was so-so. Very edible. It made me feel like I was preparing for my main course at Thai Juan On in San Juan Capistrano. Sadly for me, this was the main course. LOL!

Today was a hard day. Much harder than yesterday. 6 hours of travel may have had something to do with it. I wasn't actually hungry but I am really missing "eating." The verb of eating. Action word. There's not much actual "eating" going on when you have such a limited food intake. Tomorrow I may eat my snacks with my meals instead of separately just so that I can have the action of eating more at one sitting. As long as you eat the snacks at least 6 hours apart from each other, you are supposed to be fine.

One thing I'm noticing on this diet is how true all of the flavors are and I think that's definitely a positive. I'm really tasting my food. My taste buds really seem to be appreciating each subtle flavor; the sweetness of a strawberry or the saltiness of the Bragg's. The food feels so clean and healthy and I am loving that. Like going on a cleanse. I'm also savoring every single bite. I've noticed that I am cutting my food into almost tiny pieces so that I can have more bites. In our family we are always sharing a bite with each other with a "Here, taste this, it's fabulous." On this diet, every bite is my own. Not one morsel can be dropped, shared, or wasted. Only two VLCD's and I am already feeling this way... It's actually kind of interesting to watch yourself and how you react to such a strange diet. It better work!

Bloodwork & Supplements & Prescriptions

When I had my appointment at Amara they really stressed the need for a multi-vitamin supplement and a potassium-specific supplement as part of the diet protocol. They also require that you have blood work done at the beginning of your HCG journey so that they can both see if you have any medical challenges that they, and you, should be aware of and to measure changes in things like cholesterol levels during your diet. It's my understanding that many patients on this diet lower their bad cholesterol, LDL, significantly. I don't have a problem with that but it would be good for my husband who doesn't have a problem yet but is inching nearer to having one. Blood sugars are also lowered and that makes sense because you aren't eating sugars in any form.

Amara doesn't do the blood testing on-site but they recommended a facility located just minutes away, ANY LAB TEST. I walked right in, there was no waiting time, and the technician took my blood more gently than anyone else ever has. I complimented her, paid my bill, and was out of there in less than 10 minutes. You can find them here ( http://www.anylabtestsutah.com/ ). They send the lab results directly to your physician and they'll also send you a free copy if you request one.

Amara lets you choose your own multivitamin but they give you a prescription for the potassium called Klor-Con. A 30-day scrip is only $4 at the WalMart Pharmacy whether you are in California or Utah. There is no reason to spend big bucks on a simple prescription for potassium.

Klor-Con is an extended-release tablet form of potassium chloride which acts as an electrolyte replenisher. Some users have really complained about abdominal discomfort, gassiness, and constipation. I hope that doesn't happen to me. It's going to be too hard to be on this diet if I'm really feeling sick at the same time. One funny thing about the Klor-Con is there's a big red warning label on the side that says: DO NOT LIE DOWN FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKING THIS MEDICATION. I asked the pharmacy tech why that was and whether "I would explode or something?" I laughed. He looked very serious and said I would have to talk to the Pharmacist to find out. There was a line for the Pharmacist so I decided to just go. After all, it's easy enough not to lay down for 30 minutes. I hope I don't forget!

I know that alot of people already take multi's every day. I'm not one of those people so I had to figure out which one I wanted to take. Two websites were very helpful for me the first article was on what to look for in a multi ( http://www.thedietchannel.com/How-To-Choose-a-Multivitamin.htm ) and the second was a rating system ( http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_1786.shtml ). You might be shocked to see how yours stacks up. I was shocked that some of them could even be sold with such low ratings.

I decided to choose between the Usana Essentials, the Clinicians Vitamin & Mineral, and the Solgar Omnium. The Usana looks like you have to join or sign up in an MLM or something. I'm not interested in doing that at any point in my life and definitely not so that I can take a vitamin supplement during my diet! The Clinicians comes out of New Zealand, so it may take a little longer to arrive. It looks like I can purchase the Solgar at my local health food store, or even Amazon. I'll go with that one and I'll let you know what I think.

Day 3 - Weight 127

Today begins the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) as detailed in the last post. My weight is 127. So, even though I ate what seemed like a ton of very high fat-content food over the past two days, I've actually LOST 3 pounds since I started the injections. I'm thinking it is most likely water weight, but I definitely don't mind.

I tried to have Stevia in my coffee this morning. Yikes! I bought a bottle of the powder and it doesn't say how much to use as a sweetener. I used the tip of a teeny-tiny tea spoon. Don't do that! It was sickeningly sweet and I was bummed that I wasted a cup of coffee. I decided to drink the next cup black with no sweetener. There's no creamer or dairy of any kind on this diet. I used to drink my coffee this way and so it didn't really bother me at all.

OK, let the games begin...

LIQUID
2 cups coffee, 2 liters water, 1 cup chai tea

SNACK
1 apple, 1 Melba toast

LUNCH

• Thin steak w/ lemon pepper seared on flat grill, about 1-2 minutes each side
  
• Beet greens steamed with water & a splash of Bragg's Aminos (spray the aminos right over the greens before they start steaming)
  

SNACK
Strawberries & 1 Melba Toast

DINNER

• Steak in tin foil with chopped tomato, garlic salt, pepper. Cooked over grill pan about 6 minutes. (Everything is in the tin foil package. It came out with a nice broth from the moisture of the tomatoes).

Today wasn't too much of a challenge. Even though I knew the portions were going to be small, I was still taken aback at the amount of food on my plate. :-) There just aren't that many BITES to your meal which feels really weird. I tried something new to help me drink the required amount of water. I put 2 liters of water in a pitcher and left it on the kitchen bar with a 6 oz. glass. Every time I pass the pitcher, I fill the glass with water and drink it. It doesn't feel like "too much" and I finished the 2 liters without a struggle.

I was invited to go to a dinner tonight but thought better of going and watching everyone else eat. :-) I'm not really hungry at all. Let's see how tomorrow goes.

500 Calorie-a-Day Diet Protocol

After "loading" on Days One and Two, you should be following this protocol...

*All portions should be weighted raw, before cooking. All visible fats should be removed before cooking. (I remove mine before weighing, too!)

*Your vegetables, meat and fruit should be different for each serving. This is really important because you want a full range of nutrient-rich food.

*Choose only organic, antibiotic- and growth hormone-free produce and proteins.

*You should be taking a multi-vitamin daily.

*You should be taking a 10 ml. potassium supplement, in addition to your multi-vitamin. Your doctor should prescribe this for you.

*Do not mix proteins at any meal, e.g. You cannot have both chicken and fish in one meal.

*Do not mix vegetables at any meal, e.g. You cannot have both lettuce and tomatoes in one meal.

*NO SUGAR!!!! Stevia is the recommended sweetener of choice if you need one.

*Pepper, Mustard Powder, Garlic, Sweet Basil, etc. can be used freely as seasonings.

*You should be having the juice of one lemon daily. (This works out to about 3 TBSP). Apple Cider Vinegar and Bragg's Aminos can be used as flavorings, as well.

*NO Margarine, Butter, Oil, Dressing, Peanut Butter

*Salt intake is not restricted on this diet and you can use it as you will. But the nurse practitioner told me that eating 1 tsp. of salt equals the retention of 1 liter of fluid in the body.

*DO NOT SKIP MEALS. Every meal and snack must be eaten as directed.

BREAKFAST
Any non-caloric fluids in any amount. (See fluid options below).

PROTEIN FOOD OPTIONS
(3 1/2 ounces twice daily - Lunch and Dinner. Must be cooked without additional fat)

• Fresh White Fish (Halibut, Cod, Flounder, Monkfish, Pike, Pollock, Snapper, Sole, Whiting, Crab meat, Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops)
• Chicken breast with NO SKIN
• Veal or very lean steak

*The following are NOT ALLOWED: Salmon, Eel, Tuna, Herring. Any fish that has been dried, smoked, or pickled.

FRESH VEGETABLES
(3 1/2 ounces selected vegetables twice daily - Lunch and Dinner)

• Spinach, Chard, Chicory, Beet-greens, Green Lettuces, Tomatoes, Celery, Fennel, Onions, Red Radishes, Cucumbers, Asparagus, Cabbage

*The following are NOT ALLOWED: Pumpkin, Beetroot, Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, or Corn.

FRUIT/SNACK
Two portions per day, at least 6 hours apart. Must be eaten after lunch.
Can be combined with a Lunch or Dinner.

• Apple OR Strawberries (6 large) OR 1/2 Grapefruit AND
• 1 piece Melba toast or Wasa bread
  

APPROVED FLUIDS - MINIMUM 2 LITERS
Tea or Coffee in any quantity. Soda Water or Mineral Water.
Recommended Teas: Eleotin, Wu-Long, Yerba Mate, Chamomile (at night), Green Tea (morning).

Day 2 - Last "Loading Day"

On Day Two I weighed 130.6. So I gained almost a pound from yesterday's binge.

Today, I ate healthier until dinner. Salad, veggies, and, yes, the cupcake. :-) For dinner I made pastrami sandwiches with gruyere cheese and grilled onions. They were delicious. I made myself two and tried to eat them, I swear. But I had to give my last half to my son. I was so full. If I ate another bite I think I might have thrown up. I also had a Beck's. I sort of had it in my mind that this was the day I could eat & drink anything I wanted, so I had a beer. It wasn't until I was about half-way done with it that I kind of remembered that you aren't supposed to drink alcohol on this diet. I don't think there's an interaction problem. I think it's simply about empty calories and also about detoxing the system. I figured one beer was not going to kill me.

I'm not a heavy drinker but I have a glass of wine regularly with dinner and am a social drinker. It won't be hard not to drink while I'm on the diet. It might be hard not to drink after the diet is over but that's a challenge for another day and I don't think I'll be required to do that.

One thing I am struggling with is that you are supposed to drink a minimum of 2 liters of water every day on this diet. My normal consumption rate is nowhere near that. I know that by tomorrow I have to have this aspect down pat. I'm working on it.

I feel so full and fat and gross that I don't really want to eat again for days. I know I might feel differently tomorrow.

Guess what? My husband wants to go on the diet, too! Now I'm really excited. He's got about 30 pounds to lose at 52 years of age. Typical guy of that age with a spare tire that is growing. He'll be a couple of days behind me so he'll be loading when I am on the Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD - that's what they call it in HCG "speak"). But it's only two days. After that we can be on the same meal plan. It will be nice not to be the only one in my house taking this challenge. I was dreading how hard that would be. Fear no more! :-) Yeah, we're both going to look awesome!