Back from a journey

Hello all, I just got back from out of town yesterday, so haven't written in a bit. I went to a conference, and I was delighted to find it wasn't hard to stay on phase 3 at all! The restaurant in the hotel had a buffet with some phase 3 friendly meals, and I took some food to eat in my room-and it worked out great! I took my scale and have still stayed within the four-pound range, either above or below my LIW. And I really do eat a lot, I haven't ever not eaten when I was hungry or even when I wanted food. I just have always tried to make good choices--organic most of the time (not when I ate out of course) no sugar and starch--lots of protein and healthy fats, and yes, lots of fruit and vegetables too. And of course no processed food if I can help it!

Technically I think I'm supposed to start phase 4 tomorrow--but I have to admit I'm a little scared. I will probably introduce a few healthy carbs but I'm not ready to really have a lot of the bad carbs, and maybe never will. I'm actually feeling fine with the healthy substitutions. Has anyone else noticed that the food we're eating now tastes so much better? The foods with no chemicals, no MSG, lots of fresh vegetables with lots of spices--this really is a tasty way to eat. I'm so thankful I've found this protocol.

By the way, the conference I went to was in Knoxville, and I tried to get together with Shalom Schick, who lives there--she is the one who runs the hcgcoach.com site--but I accidentally deleted her phone number off my voice mail before I could write it down. So she called me on the way home! Too bad! I so wanted to meet her, as I saw her being interviewed on the Mike and Juliet show, as well as on the 700 Club, and I feel like I already know her. But she said she wasn't feeling well anyway, so it was just as well. Maybe next time I make it to Knoxville?

So, thanks for reading! Until next time, Merry

Still holding...

Hello, fellow hcg-ers! Well, my weight has still been in the two pound up or down range (mostly up though!) and it's been 10 days on phase 3! I have to put in not just the good things though, so here's my confession--last night, I binged out on cheese--albeit natural cheese--and this morning I woke up with such a stomach ache I couldn't get back to sleep for several hours! I won't do THAT again! The amazing thing was, that after I finally got back to sleep and weighed again after my nap, I was still right on target. This really is an amazing protocol, because I'm able to really eat a lot, even too much, and not gain weight. Although, I have been pretty good about eating mostly organic, not eating things with sugar or starch, and trying to eat the good fats, like coconut oil. I'm just excited to be maintaining so far. Anyway, it's late again--will write more later. Until next time, Merry

phase 3 musings

Well, someone said phase 3 can be scary, and I agree--but amazingly only went up .5 today. It really seems already that my hypothalamus has been reset a bit, because I feel like I'm eating a lot--yet not gaining! It's amazing!

I just wanted to share an interesting thought. I've kind of been looking at this journey as a fast, where I'm physically giving up certain foods for spiritual reasons. Well, today I opened the Bible to the section where Jesus went off into the wilderness to fast for 40 days. Gee, 40 days sounds kind of familiar! Then it said something like, "afterward, he was hungry." Hmmmm---so Jesus was on phase 3 too! And that's when he was tempted by the devil to turn the stones into bread. He resisted by saying "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." It was a great reminder that if we look at the spiritual dimension of our weight loss, it can only enrich our lives. It also showed me how phase 3 can be the place of our biggest temptations--we're eating more food, with more choices-so it's easier to be tripped up! Lord, please help all of us in phase 3 to stick to the protocol and emerge from this phase victorious!

Anyone want to share thoughts on this? Thanks, Merry

Stayed the Same!

Well, friends, I actually stayed the same! Even after that big meal at Golden Corral. Of course I really had to use the restroom first, and I'm sure that helped tremendously. I just read some of the posts of the other challengers who've already been through phase 3, and it seems no one's experience is the same. One person did a steak day and couldn't believe their weight went back down; another person also did a steak day and said it didn't work! Another person gained 7 or so pounds overnight, and didn't know why. I guess I'm in for an interesting three weeks. I'll let you know how it goes...Until next time, Merry

FINALLY IN PHASE 3!

Well, yes, it's true, yesterday was my first day of phase 3, and it went pretty well! For those of you who haven't read up on the protocol, phase 3 is where we can eat whatever we want as long as it has no starch or sugar in it. That means a lot more variety of foods that I haven't eaten for the last 6 weeks!

To back up a bit (again) since my last post--I was going through a stall and then finally it broke. My last count was, 27.5 pounds down! When I woke up this morning I was so afraid I was going to have to do a steak day already (required if your weight goes 2 pounds above your last injected weight)--but I had stayed the same! Ya! That was in spite of eating almost a whole pack of cheese throughout the day yesterday!

I don't know if I'll have as much luck tomorrow--today, I was invited to a free dinner at Golden Coral, as long as I sat through a seminar on estate planning. I was dreaming of Golden Coral chicken and steak for a week, as I finished up phase 2. Yeah, I know it isn't organic, and maybe some of the stuff had that horrid MSG--but what can you do? The funny thing was, I felt like I was a thirsty person who had been stranded in the desert (not dessert), and was finally getting a drink of water. And yet, when the meal was done, and I was stuffed full of chicken, steak, veggies and fruit--I still wasn't REALLY satisfied. Sometimes it really is that emotional hunger you're trying to fill, and even a fine dinner won't satisfy it.

Now my tummy is paying for my over-indulgence, and I'm wondering what the scale will say tomorrow. Of course, I won't actually mind doing a steak day now, because I'm so stuffed I don't really want to eat until dinner anyway! This diet really is a lot of fun, even if it doesn't sound like it!

Then after dinner, I drove over to Jungle Jim's, a huge grocery with a health food store in the middle of it, to stock up on organic foods and phase 2-friendly items, like stevia and whatnot. I even got some coconut to try making phase 3 recipes with. I want to try a lot of new tastes and sensations now, it's kind of funny--somehow, the fact that I wasn't allowed to eat a big variety of foods for 6 weeks makes me want to eat things very different from what I'm used to. I even ate celery dipped in organic mustard the other night--and I tend to not even like mustard that well. But for some reason, now it tastes pretty good!

Also it really is going to be interesting trying to keep my weight lower than two pounds up and higher than two pounds down. It's something I've never tried before, although for the last few years my weight seemed to fluctuate up and down the same 5-8 pounds or so. I guess I was so used to flying lower and lower in my weight, it really seems a change in gears now to just stay the same.

But, overall, when I think of how my life is changing because of this protocol, I realized that it somehow has given me a new sense of empowerment. I feel like this is the key I've been searching for so long, and no matter what others may say, this is the key for me. Thank God, I found this!

Until next time, Merry

Hello, fellow hcg-ers! One person emailed me that it seemed a lot of people only post the easy things, making the protocol sound like a breeze. As I thought about it, I realized sometimes we try to be upbeat, but we have to all admit, it's never EASY. This is really a journey, and at least for myself, it seems my world is turned upside down. Our eating patterns are so ingrained, it's not easy to suddenly change. I took several months studying up and reading about the protocol before I even began, and I'm still learning things.

Actually I came up with a list of some tips that have helped me along the way so far--things that I've found indispensible. Here some of them are:

1. I learned to like Stevia--the liquid flavors, to be exact. Really helps add flavor.
2. Every day I make "lemonade" with the juice from a lemon and lemon or orange flavored Stevia--it tastes great to me, and it's a way to get a lot of water in easily!
3. The miracle noodles are a God-send! I have them in a meal every day, and it really does cut hunger.
4. Candida-G and NCD liquid Zeolites--helps cut hunger from Candida, which I'm sure I have, and then the NCD also pulls toxins, chemicals and heavy metals from your body (which are released when losing weight.) Victoria Smith, a holistic practitioner, will give free info and advice as much as you need. (She also sells the supplements, which is how she makes her money) Her website is: significanthealing.com
5. I also regularly use the Guide written by Cindy Cook.
6. I like the cookbook written by Tammy (forget her last name?).
7. I also like reading the hcgdiet listserve as well as info at hcgcoach.com as much as I can to learn new things. Sometimes I listen to the video blogs Shalom or others have put together on youtube.
8. Sometimes I eat more vegetables than probably allowed, but it really helps stave off even psychological hunger!
9. Soups are very important--I add lots of spices, either beef or chicken, and one vegetable, and it tastes really great with lots of salt, since that's okay to use. Helps get in more liquid too.
10. I regularly use Celtic Sea Salt and Herbamare seasoned sea salt--makes every thing very tasty, and is healthy!
11. My favorite dish is spaghetti that I make every night! I boil either lowfat ground beef or chicken in a little water, add in chopped tomatoes, fresh garlic and tons of spices, and lastly miracle noodles. It's so tasty!
12. I also have learned to like fish. It's really not so bad with herbamare on it!
13. I also invested in a Nu-Wave infrared oven. It sits on the counter-top and cooks without having to pre-heat. Also is a little faster than the oven and is great for cooking meat and fish.
14. I look forward to Phase 3 and eventually 4, when I'll have more choices. It helps me to realize this diet isn't forever, but is a path to forever.
15. I keep telling myself that I'm finally going to be thin. Starting to get into different clothes in the back of my closet has helped motivate me too!
16. I use the crystal rock deodorant (it really works!) and makeup with fewer chemicals.
17. I pray a lot. I have a devotional for dieters that keeps me centered in God during this process. I find if I make my decision before an event that I won't eat something tempting, it's much easier to stick to the plan.

Well, there are probably other things that I can't think of, but I hope maybe one or two things on here spark something that will help someone. Take care, Merry