Hello all! Well, I re-read my last post and a quite a few things have happened. The canned tomatoes I made mock spaghetti with did NOT make me stall--in fact, I've now lost a total of 39 pounds, adding last round with this one! Yay! This round I've lost 12 "New" pounds, and including the load weight, I've lost 18 pounds--in just two weeks! The things that I've done this round to tweak the protocol seem to be working, because I'm much farther along this round than I was at this time before.

The difference? Little things, like using fresh instead of canned tomatoes, skipping one day a week--but probably the biggest one is that I have actually been counting calories more. Last round, I weighed my meats, but didn't weigh the fruits and vegetables. I think I was way above 500 calories sometimes! Which was okay, I still lost 27 pounds that round, but I think I could lost faster so I'm trying these different things.

Some people on the hcgdiet forum seem to think the miracle noodles are a cheat, but I tell you, that is one thing I'm NOT cutting out! I had been having them every day until I ran out--and I started feeling so constipated on the days I didn't have them! They have NO CALORIES and are pure fiber--they take on the flavor of whatever you add them to. I love them, and they have made this protocol so much more bearable. If you've never heard of them go to miraclenoodle.com and order the angel hair--yum!

It's also very interesting that I've really been enjoying my food a lot more, even grateful for things that seem to taste SO GOOD! For example, I made some mini-hamburgers weighed out in exact portions before sticking them on the grill. They were only 4 percent fat, Laura's Lean Beef without hormones--but I'd never tried making them on the protocol because I really like them with ketchup.

Well, guess what? I had gone to the farmer's market and gotten some of those really juicy tomatoes fresh out of the garden--so I counted one as my fruit (some people do that) and cut up some fresh onion slices, and ate them with my little hamburger meat! Voila! It was just as good as ketchup, and who needed bread? I felt like I was eating a hamburger, which I was, but it was just as good as the fast food kind, actually better. Oh, and don't forget the sea salt! (Celtic Sea Salt is actually very healthy, and I use it liberally on all my food it seems!)

Another favorite I have almost every day is an organic Fuji apple, cut up in slices and with cinnamon on it! What a treat! I got the cinnamon idea from someone on the hcgdiet forum, and I discovered I love the Fuji apples the best (for phase 3 and 4--Fuji apples are also great with peanut butter!)

Anyway--maybe I should quit talking about food so much, but I haven't mentioned much of what I actually eat on this protocol. A friend of mine is considering starting the protocol, and she said, "I'd like to see what you actually eat." She's a little scared of starting, I think--but I have to say, if you are considering this protocol, for me it seems the only way. Don't put it off! It's life-changing, and we are losing this weight for life! Hallelujah!

Okay, I'm off my soap box, and I'd better crawl into bed--somehow I seem to only write in here late at night. Well, take care, until next time, Merry

Just a quick note...

Hello all! It's very late at night, but I wanted to do a quick note to keep the words flowing! Today was my son's birthday, and everyone ordered out and ate birthday cake--except me. And you know what? It didn't bother me at all! I made a little bit different recipe to give me a treat, and I was fine. Okay, I know you're wondering WHAT I ate--well, I usually have been making a sort of mock spaghetti for my evening meal: first I boil the chicken or meat, then add chopped tomato, garlic and spices, and lastly I add in miracle noodles. It's great--but last round, I was using CANNED tomatoes, or canned tomato sauce! And I was missing the flavor--it tasted more like real spaghetti. In the interest of losing more weight, I'd been sticking to fresh tomatoes--but I let myself have the treat of the canned tomato sauce tonight so I wouldn't feel deprived. Yes, I read the label carefully, and it had no sugar or things that looked like MSG, and they were organic tomatoes--so I felt okay about eating them. YUM! And we'll see what the scale says tomorrow, but I'm okay with it even if I stall. It was worth it!

Also--I finally passed through that hurdle where I have more energy and am no longer as hungry! Yay! I actually feel pretty good most of the time, even when I'm eating very little. Today was the 10-day mark of VLCD, so it took a while to reach that point.

So it's very late, and I need to uphold my promise of being a quickie! Until next time, Merry

Into Week Two

Hi, All--is anybody reading out there? It seems a while since I've gotten any comments--it must be because I haven't written often enough. Anyway, things are going great--this is Day 9 of VLCD, round 2--and so far, added to my last round, I have now lost 32 pounds! Yay! Including loading days, I've lost 11 pounds this round, so I'm happy! I still get hungry though, which I've heard can last 10 days. Whew--can't wait for that to pass. I keep forgetting to take my Candida-G pills, but I don't really have cravings so much as real, honest to goodness hunger. At least I'm no longer light-headed, and actually I find I do have a lot of energy.

So far I had one skip day, where I skipped the injection on Sunday--so that could also affect my hunger, from what I hear. It's worth it just to possibly lose a few more pounds this round, however.

Another new thing I'm trying--the healthy coffee listed on the significanthealing.com website of Victoria Smith. The coffee actually nourishes the adrenal glands, which I'm thrilled about because I need more energy. I was a coffee drinker for years and years, so addicted I had to have at least one cup a day or I'd get a headache. Around 7 or 8 years ago I quit cold turkey, and broke out in hives! This healthy coffee is a bit strong, so I've been diluting it, adding stevia, and it actually tastes pretty good. It's decaf, but has even less caffeine that the regular decaf.

A friend of mine also gave me a "dessert tea" which is fabulous--English Toffee flavored! If you add the English Toffee flavored stevia, it's out of this world! It's like an extra little treat to have during the day.

Well, let me know if anyone's reading--take care, Merry

Day 4 of VLCD

Hello, fellow HCGers! Yes, it's day 4, and it hasn't been easy this time. It really does take about a week for the hcg to kick in, I think, so I have been hungry and light-headed at times. I didn't have the big carb withdrawal feeling though, of which I'm very thankful. I'm basically back down to where I was before I loaded, still two pounds above LIW--so I was a bit disappointed by that. I made the mistake of cleaning some greasy dishes with my bare hands before I realized even that little bit of grease could affect my weight loss. Sigh. But I'm sure I'm losing inches, because I can feel it--and I know if I keep on keeping on, it will come off. I have to say I look forward to phase 3 again though!

So far I've been eating fish at noon, and chicken for dinner. This time I've been weighing my foods and counting the calories, and I was in for a surprise--the apples I've been eating have a lot of calories, because they are big! It's hard to keep under the 500 calories eating apples two times a day so I'm trying to switch to strawberries now.

I'm also not doing the melba toast, and it's amazing how quick those calories get used up even without it. There is a great calorie calculator in the files section of the hcgdieters listserve yahoo group, which lists how many calories per ounce for each food that we are allowed, so it makes it easy.

I'm also not using canned tomatoes if I can help it. I did that lots of times last round, and now I'm trying to just use fresh. I'm hoping that these little tweaks will help my weight loss go faster!

Anyway, I love responses if you want to share! Take care, Merry

Day One of Very Low Calorie Diet!

Well, gang, yes, I've begun again. I have to say the second round is harder in some ways. I had really gotten used to the Round 3 and Round 4 way of eating again! I have to say it was very easy for me to maintain my weight over the entire 8 or 9 week break, and as long as I ate healthy foods, especially very little sugar or starch, I could eat as much as I wanted usually. Then those loading days were like a shock--suddenly allowed to eat any and all things forbidden? We ate out a big meal each day, Mexican and Chinese, and I enjoyed other little treats throughout the days--so then there is the other shock of NOT having the foods I had grown used to in phase 3 and 4. I have to admit, I did get hungry several times during the day today (the hcg is still kicking in) and had to remind myself not to reach for a piece of cheese! (love that cheese during round 3 and 4!)

Anyway--I gained about 6 pounds over the loading days and I'm hoping by tomorrow I'll be back down to LIW. I'm making a few changes this round--one, I'm going to try to actually count calories this time. Last round, I measured my protein, but everything else I just estimated--so I never really knew if I was staying within the 500 calorie limit. Today, I added it all up, and found I was 166 calories over! Whoops! I'm not worried, though, since it's just the first day, and I need to ease into it a bit.

Also, last time when I started I had this "carb withdrawal" feeling the first few days, which Victoria Smith told me was from candida die-off. This time, I didn't have that feeling, and I believe it's because I was on Ferm Plus during the 8 week break, and also the Candida G. So my microflora in the gut must be growing back and controlling the yeast overgrowth! Yay!

So onward and upward--one thing I did this time that I didn't last time--I finally took my measurements! For some reason I never got around to it last round, so I never knew how many inches I really had lost--although I could tell I lost a lot of inches because I was getting back into some of my clothes! This time, if I encounter the inevitable stall, I'll be able to check to see if I'm losing inches as well, to keep the encouragement high.

For anyone who is thinking of starting the 40-day phase 2 protocol soon, I figured out this is a good time to do it, so we can be on phase 3 and 4 during the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas). Then my plan is to start again for a third round in the New Year, when everyone always wants to start their diets!

Well, it's late and I need to get to bed. Thanks for reading! Until next time, Merry

I'm starting! I'm starting!

Hello again! Today is my first loading day for round 2, and I'm so excited! It's finally here! It's really interesting, I didn't feel like eating much, even before I had my first injection. I think my cravings really are gone, as long as I don't eat things with msg in them and keep taking my supplements for Candida (which are Ferm Plus on phase 3 and 4 and Candida G in Phase 2)! Thank you Lord!

Well, my first big challenge about starting again was that I couldn't remember exactly how to mix up the hcg--my friend had helped me before, and she was out of town! She was going to call me and walk me through it, but she must have gotten too busy or forgotten because I didn't get a call. So I tried reading the instructions in the files of the hcgdieters yahoo group, and finally figured out how to do it. Whew! I didn't actually do the shot until after 1 p.m., but I think it's okay. Especially since it's the first day of loading, and it takes a few days to really get it into your system.

Then, we decided to eat out at a Mexican place, so I could have my favorite Steak Mexicana, a rib-eye grilled with onions and peppers. It was great! Yeah, I know it's full of msg, but it's loading day, remember?

I read a few of the other hcg challengers' blogs, and I think a lot of people are starting soon or even today, like me! With school starting again soon, it's a seasons of new beginnings.

And speaking of New Beginnings--Yesterday was 08-08-08! In the Bible, 8 is the number of New Beginnings, so I'm excited. I think it's really time to change my life, and it's happening, because I'm beginning anew.

I actually can see changes in many areas of my life, a fresh start, so to speak. I actually even kind of missed some of the meals I ate on phase 2--which I purposely didn't make, so I wouldn't get sick of them. I need to go to Jungle Jim's and get some organic food, however!

Anyway--hope everyone is doing fine this summer, and looking forward to starting the challenge again! Thanks for reading, and until next time, Merry

Phase 2 Approaching Soon...

Hi, all! Sorry I've been away from my writing duties here. I know you're wondering how it's all going. And I have to say, it's going great! I've taken a few weekend trips in the last weeks, so I decided to put off starting phase 2 a few extra weeks--but my big plan is to start--(drum roll) this weekend! Yay! It's kind of funny being glad about starting a diet again, but this is really different than any other diet--because I KNOW this is going to be the last time I lose this weight. I'll be able to give away all my big clothes, and my whole lifestyle is changing! Thank God! I really do have a faith and confidence that my life is changing, from here on out...

I have even gone to eat out and not gained weight over my two pound limit. It's really amazing to me, how my hypothalmus really does seem to be re-set. I've maintained now for about 8 weeks, and I really have eaten A LOT. As long as I stick to the right kind of foods, I'm fine.

I was reading someone else's blog, who was having trouble with cravings. I have to say, since I've been off sugar and msg, and been doing a Candida cleanse (Fern Plus) these past 8 weeks, I really don't struggle with cravings. I'm more than happy to eat my apples, peanut butter, fish, chicken, and lots of veggies! And don't forget the cheese--lots and lots of cheese. That list is what my phase 3/4 menu has been mostly comprised of. I want to experiment with some of the low carb recipes I've found, but haven't gotten around to them yet--such as cauliflower pizza, whoopsie bread, and other interesting ones--but it does seem like I'm in the kitchen too much as it is.

One thing I was ecstatic about last week was, I was able to make a completely "legal" meal for my whole family--a stir fry with miracle noodles! My two sons ate the noodles without complaint--one later said he REALLY liked the noodles, the other said he didn't really like them that well but ate them anyway. But still--I didn't have to make two meals, and I had the confidence that I could give them healthy food to eat that they like.

Well, it's getting late--sorry again not to have written sooner. But as soon as I start the phase 2 protocol again, I will write much more regularly! Hope all are well! Until next time, Merry