Hello, all! It was so nice to see people's comments on my last post, and I realized I needed to get to it. Well, I have to confess--I did a semi-protein day finally when on two of my three scales my weight was higher than it should have been. For some reason, I just couldn't have a complete protein day--but basically, I ate no breakfast and had only protein until dinner. Then I did have a salad and a little fruit--and for a late night snack, steamed vegetables. And it worked! This morning I was back down in the range.

Does that sound obsessive, that I have three scales? One was my mother's, and is a bit like a doctor's scale, although not as fancy. One was my husband's, and is actually the one I started the protocol with--so I always feel that I need to go back to it, because it's the "official" scale--and one is a newer scale that seems to be more accurate than my husband's scale. So do you blame me for not trying all three out every morning???

Anyway--I also didn't gain when I ate the Chinese food, as mentioned in my last post, but as I started having a few dishes from restaurants again (like steak taco salad from Q-Doba) I noticed the old cravings starting to return--that darn msg again, I'm sure of it! So that's probably what also caused my weight to go up a bit. Now I've been following a more strict phase 3 diet (anything except starch and sugar) and I feel a lot better. I really do feel like I could eat this way for the rest of my life.

I have a little more than a week before I start the protocol again! Yay! I'm excited to lose weight again, although it will be a bit hard giving up some of the freedoms of phase 3 again. It's funny though, I've purposely tried not to eat the same things that I ate in phase 2, so I wouldn't get too sick of them--but now I even miss some of the meals I was having!

The other thing I'm still struggling with is how to make meals that are organic and healthy (no msg) that my family will like. A couple of nights ago I felt like I had a victory when I made them a completely organic healthy meal--complete with stir fried vegetables, coconut oil, chicken and even miracle noodles! And they all ate it and didn't complain at all! They didn't even ask what was different about the noodles or anything! And for dessert we had fresh fruit!

But I need to find a few new dishes I can make that they all will like. Tonight, I gave up the fight and made an old favorite--rice with a can of mushroom soup in it, and prepared teriaki meatballs (of the health food variety, but probably with sodium and msg in it.) So, I had to make my organic chicken separately. Oh well. Some time I'll get them together.

Well, thanks so much for reading! I love those comments if you want to post! --Merry

slight indiscretions...

Hello again, all! With my two boys home from school and back from camp, I've been a bit busier and haven't written again. I think in the summer it's hard! Also, since I'm not on the protocol, but in phase 3 or 4, it's hard to get motivated to write. But, perhaps someone out there is wondering how I'm doing! So I need to oblige and let you in on my life!

Actually, I'm doing quite well--I've sort of eased into phase 4 very slowly, just "cheating" once in a while off my phase 3 diet to add the occasional excess. So far, still no steak days! Yay! It's working great for me! In fact, the other night, I decided to try the "Newman-O's" I got for my kids--the organic oreo-like cookies. I was just going to have two, or maybe three--but guess what, I got going and couldn't stop! (Makes me wonder if they have msg in them? Msg is reputed to make you want to eat and eat!) Anyway, when I was done, I realized they weren't THAT good, and my tummy was a bit upset. But the next morning, still no weight gain--and no steak day necessary! This protocol makes me feel powerful!

One person on the hcgdiet yahoo group did write that the foods she could eat during each round of phase 3 changed--that struck me, that perhaps phase 3 and 4 won't always be so easy, but they certainly have gone well this time. I have to say, I take some very potent supplements that also may be helping me maintain. I'm drinking health shakes by Reliv International (ask me about this, since I'm a distributor) as well as the Fern Plus probiotic that recolonizes the microflora in your gut, and the NCD liquid zeolites that cleanse toxins and heavy metals from your system. I believe these supplements are some of the keys to life that God has led me to! They have made such a difference for me and my family!

Also, I do try to avoid that msg like the plague! It is far worse that I realized--just watch the videos on You Tube about how msg evolved in our food manufacturing, and it can really scare you! I just pray that this substance will be exposed for how bad it really is.

And with that said, I have to confess--I had my first Chinese food tonight since starting phase 2! I had beef and broccoli (with carrots) and left off the rice and egg roll this time. It was so good! I wouldn't have done it if I weren't on phase 4, but it's a good experiment to see how it affects me. They usually cook Chinese food with sugar, msg and the wrong kind of oil, so we'll see tomorrow morning if I can maintain my record of no steak days! Of course, I'll blame the msg if so--

Well, until next time, Merry