Pages

Loss so far

Ticker Zone Ticker

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

So....

I had a really great day today then someone had to go and ruin it and now I can't seem to calm down enough to want to go to bed.... so here I am writing a post. About what though? I'm not sure.... maybe an explanation as to where I've been the past little while? Sure. Why not, right?!

Well... after becoming seriously frustrated with not being able to lose anything I decided, "It's summer, I really don't want to be on a super-strict diet right now." I want to enjoy BBQ'd burgers and hot dogs and smoked ribs and delicious steak and corn on the cob and all the other yummy food that comes with Summer-time. Now you California people don't understand this. You can BBQ outside almost any day of the year... here in Utah, you can't. Especially when Winter seems to last from Oct - May/June. So I'm taking advantage of it while I can. Maybe once Summer is over I'll start up again, but that's a huge maybe.
Plus our sister is coming to visit us this weekend! Party time! (For those who don't know.... the 24th of July is a HUGE Utah Holiday. I'd say they celebrate it more intensely than the 4th. )

But I'll keep you posted....

maybe now I can get some sleep....


Happy Pioneer Day everyone!!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

A recipe! A recipe!

So this may not be a great HCG recipe, but I just made it up for dinner tonight and it was sooo good. And it's quite healthy for you, so say the guys from "Eat this, Not that."


Salmon with ginger-soy butter, sauteed mushrooms and onions in a lemon-grape-seed oil sauce with Quinoa.

For the salmon:

Salmon filets
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper


For the ginger-soy butter:

2TBS. unsalted butter, softened
1/2TBS fresh-grated ginger
1/2TBS low-sodium soy sauce
1/2TBS chopped chives
juice of one lemon


Mushrooms/Onions:

1pkg Cremini mushrooms, halved
1 onion, diced
Juice of 2 lemons
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Grape-seed oil


1. Combine butter, soy sauce, ginger, chives and lemon juice. Cover and set aside.
2. Sprinkle Salmon filets with salt and pepper on both sides.
3. Drizzle about 2TBS olive oil into large skillet and when hot, add onions. Allow to soften and then add the mushrooms, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Sautee for about 2 minutes, then move to the sides of the pan, making a hot spot. Add the salmon filets to the hot spot.
4. Flip filets once to brown both sides and let cook through. Once cooked, drizzle a bit of grape-seed oil over them, and then add a spoonful of the butter mixture.


Cook Quinoa according to package directions and place 2 spoonfuls onto a plate. Top with Salmon filet and serve mushrooms to the side.


Super yummy!! I especially love the mushrooms. And did you know Quinoa is one of the MOST healthy carbs you can eat? It has so much protein and other vitamins and nutrients it is so good for you!! It's actually really good too!! It's a new favorite in my home!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Yesterday was Bad. Well, actually it was a GREAT day, but I made a BAD choice. My mom came and spent time with us then we went to the Midnight showing of Eclipse. What was my bad choice? We had Panda for dinner. We both love it... and I don't get to see her very often... so it had to be Panda. I don't regret it, it was delicious. And honestly, I prepped all day for it by not eating anything else (well I did have Popcorn and Licorice and Dippin Dots at the theater!) But I still gained 3lbs. Yeah. Apple Day today! But it was such a fun day with her! My little boy just absolutely loves her, as do I.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Hello!

When I stopped my last round of HCG the beginning of May, I was at a 21lbs loss total from January. I went to San Diego, enjoyed a day at Disneyland and spent much-needed time with family. All the while only gaining 5lbs back. 5lbs I could handle. My pants still fit nicely. I still felt great.
Then we came home and I don't know what happened. I just gave up, I guess. Ice cream, cookies, and chips set me back another 4lbs. 4lbs doesn't seem like much, but it was just enough to make my pants a little tight.
So with another month rolling around, I decided to start one more round, with hopes of losing another 20lbs. That way when it's over, if I gain some back, it won't make my pants uncomfortable. Last time I had a hard time dropping below 190 and when I finished I bobbled between 190-200. If I can get to 180 this time and bobble between 180-190 I'll be good! I may even get down to a size 12! Those numbers seem awfully high... but you have to take into account I'm almost 5'8" tall. Normal for me is 160, so says the BMI scale. Which, by the way, I hate. I will be perfectly happy with 180ish.

So that's my story for today.... I'm back on the program. I feel great, and I'm super excited! I started last Tuesday, and so today marks the end of Week #1. I've lost 6.5lbs so far. Funny thing is, during my Load Days, I actually LOST weight! So I took an extra Load Day to try and gain extra.... but I still ended up losing. It was very strange!

Here's to two more weeks of 500 Calories, and the return of fruits and veggies to my diet! They really do wonders to your self-esteem and over-all health!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

I'm in love....

Have you tried it yet? It comes in many different flavors (which I tried this week... all are decent, but my favorite is the Original). Did you know Coconut water is the next best thing to Water itself? It's full of NATURAL electrolytes, more potassium than a banana, no fat, no cholesterol, and no preservatives! It helps hydrate you and it's good for babies and toddlers with upset tummies! Great for kidney stones also! I had no idea!!

I've always loved coconut.... coconut cream pie, coconut ice cream, EVERYTHING. Now I love the water too! Yum!!

Go, try some! If you live in the same little town as I do, you can find it in the "Hippy" aisle of Smith's for about $1 a carton, less than soda! :)


Mmmmm.... I need to get me some more. I drank my last one this morning!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

HCG Works!

Wow, it has been about a month since I posted last.

Since I've stopped using HCG I've taken a trip to San Diego, including a day at Disneyland. I've visited my mom in Arizona, and I've eaten pretty much anything I want.

I've only been checking my weight on a weekly basis... and I'm nervous each time I do.

BUT.... It really hasn't changed much! I'm staying right within 3-4lbs of my ending weight! I was so afraid once I stopped and started eating normal foods I'd gain all of it back. I'm super excited that I haven't! This craziness really does work! Hurray!!

I do miss the super healthy foods I was eating... but I have no desire to make them right now! lol.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I'm back!

Hello blogosphere! Have you missed me?

Well my trip to San Diego and especially DISNEYLAND was fabulous! Best trip yet! We accomplished so much and had such a great time!

I was a little scared. I jumped on my MIL's scale while we were bathing our wee-lamb and it said I had gained 10lbs! I wasn't following any protocol, but I was trying to make good choices and not indulge too much. I didn't think I had been THAT bad...

I think a lot of it was due to the circumstances surrounding the time I checked:
A. I weighed myself around 8pm.
2. I was fully clothed.
C. It wasn't my normal scale.

So when we got home I was a wee bit hesitant to jump on the scale right away. Then I got sick. Real sick. All of us were actually. Our son definitely got the worst fever, but I had a bit of stomach flu with mine. Luckily we're on meds now and doing much better. But hey, one good thing did come from spending most of yesterday in the bathroom...

The scale this morning said I only gained 4lbs during my trip!! That's much more realistic.

Now is the hard part. I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to start another round of HCG or take a hiatus for a time to pursue another chapter in my life.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

It's Tuesday?!

Wow... where did Monday go? This week has just started and it's already been SUPER BUSY.

I didn't want to post a Recipe Monday because honestly, I wanted nothing to do with food yesterday, especially Recipes. I've been working on recipe cards for the past 2 weeks and I want nothing to do with them for a long, long time! lol.

It seems my body has decided to kick back into LOSE mode this week and so far I'm down another almost 3lbs! It's such a yo-yo right now... but I gotta lose as much as I can before Disney so when I get home it's not a complete shocker (and so I can still fit into my pants!).

You may not hear from me for a while... I'm not gone... just busy.

Oh, I've had a few inquiries... I still have 6 boxes of GRISSINI BREADSTICKS left. They need to be sold ASAP. Let me know if you need some.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Yesterday was a rough day. I just felt icky... and thought I had gained a ton of weight over the weekend. I didn't want to do ANYTHING.

So I was a little nervous when I stepped on the scale this morning. Not really much of a change, which was good. Then I looked at the past couple of days. Friday night I gained 3lbs. I know, right.
BUT I know why, one word, Wendy's. I hate you Wendy's. I can go to McDonald's and order a Filet-o-Fish sandwich and share my son's fries and nuggets and not gain anything, but still lose. But not with Wendy's. Arrrgh.
So that started the bad pattern. You already know what happened Saturday and Sunday. So I've gained back about 4lbs... BUT... here's the good news:

I had an awesome workout this morning!! I did the Wii Fit PLUS for about an hour, lost about 270 calories AND BEAT all my records! I even did the extra long run, running the entire way. It's probably not quite a mile... but I started with the basic run (probably 1/4 mile) and then did the long-distance PLUS run. I feel great!!
I love the Advanced Step. I do pretty good on it, I've had the highest score in our home for the past year. But today... I was damn-near perfect 100%. I only missed 11 steps, getting OK's 11 times. No misses... almost perfect! I felt pretty good!!

My stomach feels tighter, my back is a little sore and my legs are feelin it too... and man, I stink!! Time for a shower!! Until Friday....

Monday, April 19, 2010

It's Monday already?

Such a great weekend! So sad to see it go... the weather was WARM and SUNNY!! We played outside, we played in water... so. much. FUN.

But I was bad... it was like I couldn't feel full. I had granola, a sandwich, smoothies, popcorn, candy... all throughout Saturday and Sunday. It was awful. Grr... I'm pretty upset. So this week has to be SUPER Strict to make my bi-weekly goal. Let's hope that I actually reach it this time!

And the recipe this week comes from Cooks Country TV. Love them. Love this dish!

SMOKED PORK CHOPS

1/4C brown sugar
1TBS ground fennel seed
1TBS ground cumin (or 1tsp. chili flakes, 1tsp. chili powder, and 1tsp. ginger --- I didn't have cumin!)
1TBS ground coriander (my fav!!)
1TBS paprika
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
4 bone-in blade-cut chops, about 2 inches thick (I used boneless chops, 1in thick)
2C wood chips *optional*

1. Combine sugar and spices and rub mixture all over pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hr to 24 hours.
2. Arrange chops, bone side toward fire, on grill. Cook until chops register 145-150 degrees, turning every few minutes. Transfer to platter and let rest for 20 min. Serve.

So yummy!!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Friday Update

It's been a great week! I feel fabulous!! I lost another pound yesterday, and am down 22lbs.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Update

Sorry this is so late tonight.

Yesterday I lost 3.5lbs!! I didn't make it fasting completely, but I did last until 6pm. Then I ate a green salad with grape tomatoes and later made a fruit smoothie for my son and I. Good day all in all. I felt great after learning how much I had lost. I'm back to my 20lb total loss... and will hopefully lose another 5lbs this week.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Disappointing Weekend

I don't know what happened. I was so good. And yet, since Friday, I've gained 2lbs. Now I have to lose 11lbs by TOMORROW! Yeah... it's gonna be rough.
At least I got in a good Pilates session this morning, and will hopefully do some more Wii Fit Plus workouts later. Plus, I have to run errands today, so that will help. I think I'm going to take today and fast. Hopefully that will help my weight out a bit, and give me a little emotional boost as well.
I have until the 30th to lose 10-15lbs. Although, I'm out of hcg drops and am doing 500 calories for another 2 days, then on to 1000 calories. That seems like so much! I don't know if I can eat that much!

Any ideas of how to lose those extra pounds in 2 weeks without the help of the drops?!


And keep reading for my Recipe Monday!

Herb Marinated Chicken

This recipe comes from JamieOliver.com, of The Food Revolution, on ABC Fri nights. Watch it. Love it. Do it.

• 4 chicken breasts
• a bunch of summer savory
• a bunch of fresh rosemary
• 8 cloves of garlic, skins left on
• 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lemons, washed and thinly sliced


Place chicken in a roasting tray. In a pestle and mortar or with a rolling pin and a metal bowl, bash and bruise the flavour out of the herbs, squash in the garlic cloves and pour in the olive oil. Mix and rub all over the chicken, then lay them out flat, skin-side up, and grate over half the ginger.

If you have time, leave it for a couple of hours to marinate.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Season the chicken well after marinating and place it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove and lay the lemon slices over the chicken, then grate the rest of the ginger all over. Tilt the tray and spoon over all the lovely cooking oils before cooking for another 20 minutes or until nice and golden and cooked through – the juices should run clear.

Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

I've been doin' some thinkin'...

... scary I know...

On Wii Fit, it asks you to make a goal deadline. Usually mine is to lose the most amount of weight (22lbs is the limit) in a certain amount of time (usually 2-6months). I never reach it. So lately, I've been setting my goals at 2 week increments of around 10lbs. My deadline is next Tuesday. That just so happens to be my last day of 500 calories. So far I have 9lbs to lose to meet that deadline. That's 2lbs a day from today until Tuesday. It's crunch time, baby! I know I can do it!

Yesterday, I went into D.I. (Utah's version of Goodwill) to waste some time before an oil change appointment. My baby boy and I spent a good chunk of time searching his size clothes for some goods. We found some pretty cute stuff... then it was on to furniture and shoes... eh, nothing there that caught my attention. Then I noticed some women's capris. They were kinda cute, and I thought that would be perfect to wear to California in a few weeks!
So I started looking through the denim capri section and grabbed 2 pair of size 16's. I also found a khaki pair, and two adorable skirts (one without a tag, and the other size 14!). We went into the fitting room, and to my amazement, one of the sz 16 capris was way TOO BIG! While the sz 14 skirt fit perfectly! The khakis were also a perfect fit and the other demin capri was just a tad too loose. I decided to get the four(two skirts, khaki capri and denim capri) and see if I could find another denim pair in a sz 14. I did, but didn't have time to try it on there...
When I got home and tried them all on again, I was in heaven! I fit perfectly in the sz 14 ones... but was glad I kept the bigger size (a few weeks ago while up in Orem, my fat jeans were gettin a little snug... ), for just in case purposes! My diet will be completely over by the time we leave... and I don't see myself eating super junky food... so hopefully I won't gain 6lbs again!

Not sure where I was goin with this post... but I had some thoughts I wanted to share!

Here's to losing ONE PANT SIZE, and hopefully having one more gone in a week!! WOOHOO!!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Update...and Recipe!

So Easter weekend is over and done. I was a bit scared, I have to admit. Here's why:

Saturday night we had BBQ'd chicken under a brick, Corn on the Cob, Salad and Baked Squash.
Sunday morning we had mini cinnamon rolls, potato/sausage/egg/pepper burritos, and orange juice.
Sunday night we had BBQ'd steaks, asparagus rafts, corn on the cob and more salad.

I didn't eat any cinnamon rolls or corn, luckily... but I did eat my fair share of candy. So when I stepped on the scale, I was terrified. BUT... I did step on the scale late at night, so I knew that in itself would make my weight off. It said I had gained over 5lbs since Friday morning!

This morning I jumped back on (PS Big thanks to the hubs for the new Wii Fit PLUS... love it!) and I was down 2.5lbs! That means I really only gained just over 2lbs during Easter. Whew.

And today... here's my recipe of the week: Chicken grilled under a brick.



You'd think the brick would smother it and make it tasteless and dry... but it actually creates just the opposite affect.


4 Chicken Breasts

Marinade:
1tsp. coarse sea salt
1tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 - 1tsp hot pepper flakes
1TBS chopped fresh garlic
1TBS chopped fresh rosemary
1/4C lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4C EVOO (cooks off, don't worry)

Special Equipment:
4 Bricks, each wrapped in foil
Oak chunks for building the fire, or 2C oak chips, soaked in cold water to cover for 1 hour, then drained.

1. Combine all marinade ingredients into small blender or food processor, and blend until paste-like. Arrange chicken in baking dish and pour marinade over. Allow to sit 1 hour to overnight.
2. Set up grill. Brush and oil grill grate. Arrange chicken on grate and place brick on top of each. Grill until cooked, 3-5min per side, turning after 1.5min to create cross-hatch marks.

And now... my SECRET STEAK MARINADE RECIPE: (shhhhh... don't tell!)

Place steaks in baking dish, cover with Pepsi or Coke ( I prefer Pepsi... coke makes me sick!). Sprinkle with Season salt or Creole seasoning and pepper. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce and place in refrigerator overnight. Grill to perfection. Yum!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Great Workout program!


I just love Winsor Pilates! The past two days I've been doing just the 20min workout and I can feel my buns getting tighter and my stomach getting flatter. It really is amazing. It's hard to get motivated to do it because she can be slow and boring... but once you start, you don't wanna stop!
Even though you only get 500 Calories a day, you can still do a simple workout like Pilates or Yoga, or whatever! I definitely wouldn't go running or anything super-strenuous like that. But Pilates can definitely help tone those areas where the fat is falling off!

Since Monday, I've lost over 3lbs! Just 10 more to go!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Recipe Monday is BACK!

Woohoo! I made this for dinner yesterday and it was SO good and definitely hCG-approved.


GARLIC ROAST BEEF

Ingredients:

BEEF

8 lg. cloves garlic, unpeeled (I didn't do this step this time... not a big fan of chunks of garlic)
1 top sirloin roast (4lbs)

GARLIC-SALT RUB

3 lg. cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2tsp. table salt

GARLIC PASTE

12 lg. cloves garlic, peeled, cloves cut in half lengthwise
2 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried thyme)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 C olive oil
ground black pepper

JUS

1 can beef broth
1 C chicken broth

Instructions:

1. For the beef: Toast unpeeled cloves in small skillet over med-hi heat, tossing frequently, until spotty brown, about 8 min. Set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel cloves and cut into 1/4in slivers.
2. Using paring knife, make 1-in deep slits all over roast. Insert toasted garlic into slits.
3. For the garlic-salt rub: Mix minced garlic, thyme, and salt together (I added pepper here also) in small bowl. Rub all over meat. Place roast on large plate and refrigerate, at least 4hrs or overnight.
4. For the garlic paste: Heat halved garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaves, salt and oil in small saucepan over med-hi heat until bubbles start to rise to surface. Reduce heat to low and cook until garlic is soft, about 30 min. Cool completely. Strain, reserving oil. Discard herbs and transfer garlic to small bowl. Mash garlic with 1TBS garlic oil until paste forms. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Cover and reserve garlic oil.
5. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place nonstick roasting pan or broiler pan bottom on rack, and heat over to 450. Using paper towels, wipe garlic-salt rub off beef. Rub beef with 2TBS garlic oil and season with pepper. Transfer meat, fat side down(my roast didn't have any fat), to preheated pan and roast, turning as needed until browned on all sides, 10-15min.
6. Reduce oven temp. to 300. Remove pan from oven. Turn roast fat side up and coat top with garlic paste. Return meat to oven and roast until internal temp reaches 125(for rare; I left mine in until 155 and it was a PERFECT Med-well), about 50-70 min. Transfer roast to cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 20min.
7. For the Jus: Drain excess fat from roasting pan and place over high heat. Add broths and bring to boil, using wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom of pan. Simmer, stirring, until reduced to 2C. Add accumulated juices from roast and cook 1min. Slice roast crosswise against grain into 1/4in slices.

**I added two large sliced (1/4in slices) onions sprinkled with salt, pepper and tarragon to the pan when the temp came down to 300. Could also use Fennel with salt and pepper.
For the non-hCG dieter: great with side of mashed potatoes and/or carrots/fennel/celery.

ENJOY!!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Grissini Bread

I still have 6 boxes of Grissini left. I need to sell these! $2.50 per box; $10 to ship all 6 anywhere.

Email me for more info: stacilee84@gmail.com

Thanks.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Last post of the week, I Promise!

Here's what I ate yesterday:

2 pieces of bread (was more like 1/2 a piece with the crusts because my bebe is a little porker!)
an extremely large tortilla (thank you BB!) with less than 3oz Roasted Chicken, 2 Pickle spears and 1 string cheese... sooo yummy! Definitely my new fav!
about 1/2C of Devil Cheesecake. It. Must. DIE! (going in the trash as we speak)
3oz steak (different seasonings this time: ginger, salt, pepper, cajun... not my fav mix)
1 tomato (cut in half, then each half cut in 3rds, then in 4ths; salt and pepper (generously) and a little chives and red wine vinegar... mmmm
1 bag of popcorn
5 Dove Chocolates


And guess what?! I LOST 3.1lbs! That's right. I'm awesome! :)

I've come to a conclusion. I think they make this diet so strict so you can lose your maximum weight loss. But because each body is different, everyone reacts to it differently. I have a friend, who is older than me, she has weekly cocktails. Her daily loss is usually less than a pound. But she is very strict in other aspects of it. So why is our loss so different? Could be age, could be our body types... I'm not sure.
I've always had an easy time losing weight (THANK GOODNESS). And I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to lose it this easily at this point in my life. I also gain weight easily.
Growing up I never had a belly. I took pride in my gorgeous flat stomach. I used to show it off by wearing belly shirts and spaghetti straps. Then the Prednisone hit and all my hard work was gone.
I think you don't have to be as super strict as they tell you to be, you just need to be smart. I gave up my fruits yesterday because of that devil cheesecake. And I didn't eat the whole thing, just a few bites. Everything in moderation. If you must go overboard, do it with veggies, not junk. Veggies contain very little calories, enjoy them! And honestly, I feel so much better after having eaten 3 large tomatoes with salt than I do a whole bag of potato chips.
I'm really scared to end this diet for fear that all my hard work will be gone with one regular meal. And that's why the 3 weeks after the drops are over are so critical. You have to allow your body to settle and reset. Then the loss should be permanent.

It's ok to make a few mistakes. Just don't dwell on them and continue making them. Make one little mistake and be better the rest of the day. Usually by Fridays I'm starving and would have taken Wed or Thurs to cheat... and then I'd be regretting it all weekend and have to start all over on Sunday. I think I've finally figured it out! I eat tomatoes when I'm hungry.

Try it. And in the meantime, have a great weekend!!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

No Change

title pretty much sums up my weight check this morning. No change. I have been losing quite a bit... so one day without any loss isn't too bad.

Check back tomorrow, I've been much better today. I need to throw out that dang cheesecake in my fridge. It's not helping the situation.

Bye-bye Cheesecake devil!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Two posts in a week? I must be crazy! :)

Yesterday I felt like such a porker! I was petrified to get on the scale this morning after what I had eaten:

2- 3oz steaks (lunch and dinner)
4 small tomatoes
1 lg. tomato
5 little Special Dark Dove Chocolates (at least they're good for your heart, right?!)
A whole bag of popcorn with a little melted butter (my husband makes the BEST popcorn... which we share every night. Lately, I've been asking for my own bag as my 17mo old likes to share with me!)
A Piece of bread
A bowl of strawberries
teacup of chocolate milk


But to my amazement, I had LOST another 2.6lbs!!
I really need to become more strict. But the nightly popcorn really settles my cravings for anything else, and the chocolate keeps the headaches away (usually I try to stick to 3 pieces).

And remember that Pulled Roasted Chicken? Well, I tried it for lunch today. Here's what I did:

Placed about 1.5oz on a small flour tortilla and micro-zapped it for 1min. Then I added about 1tsp of Mayo w/ olive oil and a Dill pickle spear. I made two.

IT WAS SO GOOD!! I know the Mayo and tortilla are big NO NO's, but it just sounded so good. And at least I didn't use bread, right?! And if you figure out the calorie intake, for 2 little "tacos" I only exhausted about 150 calories (100 for 3oz of chicken, 30 for 2tsp mayo, and I'm assuming 20 for two little tortillas).

I know, I'm bad. I will try to be better... we'll see what the scale says about my cheats tomorrow!!

Until then...

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

What happened to Recipe Mondays?

Here's my dilemma:

I usually only eat a steak and cut up tomatoes. That is so satisfying to me that I have no desire to try anything else. Maybe this week I will, though. But all the recipes I know that I would LOVE to share, are NOT hCG-friendly... and I wouldn't want to be the cause of someone's cheating! :)


As an update... I spent last week eating normal, not-so-healthy food, as I was out of town most of the week. As a result, I gained 6.4lbs (I knew it was bad when my "fat jeans" were getting tight!). I know it sounds like a lot... but in comparison with everything I ate, I was actually impressed.
It was so nice to be back to 500Cal yesterday. I didn't feel frumpy and yucky like I had during last week. So when I stepped on the scale today, I was extremely excited. As I should be... I DROPPED 2lbs exactly! Woohoo! Go me!
I did have two pieces of buttered bread with my dinner (a LITTLE Creole seasoning goes a LONG, long way!), but luckily I didn't have lunch. So it kind of evened itself out.
(Side note, do NOT follow my example!)

I purchased some Roasted Pulled Chicken from Schwan's today and I'm super excited to try it out tomorrow with some Zucchini. I will let you know how it tastes!

Remember how I said I wasn't doing anything or going anywhere for 6 weeks? Well... I lied. You see, Easter is smack in the middle of those 6 weeks and we invited our dear sister to join us. Luckily she likes healthy food, so we're planning on BBQ'in some steaks and asparagus. Shouldn't be too bad!
I did go overboard on the candy I bought for my son and husband, though. I may have to hide it until May. Wish me luck with that!! :)

Until next time... keep up the good work!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Update...

I really need to just take 6 weeks and not plan anything. Then I might actually be able to stick to this without cheating or worse... gaining what it took a week to lose.

I totally messed up those 3 very crucial days. You know, the 3 days when you stop taking the drops but are to STAY ON THE 500 Cal Diet. Then once those 3 days are over, you're then onto 1000 calories. Yeah, messed up... AGAIN.

So here's my new plan. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to do my "load days." Only, I'm going to be careful in what I eat and not totally engorge myself. Then on Monday, it's back to 500 Calories for 3 weeks. By the time May 1st hits, I will have completed a full 6 week program again, hopefully losing an additional 20lbs and then I can celebrate with a FREE Disney Day! :)

I'm determined to fully complete my final cycle with no cheating. So, I'm sorry to my dear friends, but I will not be making any plans during the entire month of April (and the final week of March). I will see you when I get back from Disney, and 20lbs lighter! Woohoo! :)

Love you all!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Check this out...

Vicky @ The City Cradle is doing an awesome challenge; 30 different parties before she turns 30. She is also having a Giveaway with this journey... head on over THERE to check it out and enter for yourself!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Whoa...

It's been a full week since I've posted last.

I. Am. Sorry.

I haven't stopped the hCG diet, I just haven't had anything to write about. I actually still don't. I haven't been as strict as I should be, although I'm not eating junk, either.
Instead of eating my two small meals a day, I've been eating just one meal, mainly my Chicken/Swiss Chard/Poblano tacos. I made them just to try out a new recipe and fell in L.O.V.E. I didn't check my weight this morning as I had to wake up and shower early to go pick up my Bountiful Basket, but the rest of the week really hasn't been that bad.
I'm pretty much staying around the same #'s, but I feel good. I've still lost about 20lbs, although I'm having a hard time losing more. I'm going to put in one more super-strict week, then I'm on to 1,000 calories! We'll see how it goes! The taco mix is gone, so I don't have to worry about those tempting me anymore!

Well, I just wanted to check in and let you know I haven't given up, so please don't give up on me!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Bountiful Baskets!


Look at all that great produce -- only $15!! That's the price of the bags of potatoes and strawberries ALONE!


I'm a new fan of BB!! Every week or so, volunteers get together all over UT, AZ, ID and Vegas to hand out Bountiful Baskets. If you're interested go HERE and check your contribution days/times and sign-up. You'll get a reminder email when it's time to make your contribution (place your order) and you'll want to respond ASAP as they only have so many.
You can also add on extras like Bread baskets, treats, and they have specialty baskets. This week's was Asian Ingredient Pack with Bok Choy, Garlic, Ginger, and others. I wasn't too sure what it was all about, so I just stuck with the regular Fruit/Veggie basket. The prices are the kinds of prices Restaurants and Grocery stores get... so it's a SUPER great deal!
I can't wait to see what they have next time (oh, and each time is different, you never know what's going to be in your "basket"!!)

Now I'm off to make some pickles and possibly applesauce! I'm so excited!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

20lbs loss and info on Cheating

Well I jumped on the scale today and was ECSTATIC that I had lost OVER 3lbs yesterday! My total weight loss is 20lbs! I. Am. So. EXCITED!
I was really afraid of losing any this week because I have been bad. As far as meals go, I've been REALLY good. Probably eating less than what I'm supposed to. But I've been sneaking in mini dark chocolates and popcorn.
I normally don't like popcorn. My husband usually makes a bowl for himself at night and I can usually look at it and say, "Ew," and be done. But earlier this week, I wanted some, dangit! So he gave me a little cereal bowl of my own. It was just enough to make me feel, "Oh, that was good." And possibly want more later.
So last night, he wasn't in a sharing mood and made me grab my OWN bag. I told him I couldn't eat the whole bag... so he said he'd make it (he adds seasonings to make it YUMMY!) and he'd take what I didn't eat. So I sat down with my HUGE bowl of popcorn, perfectly seasoned and soon realized I had eaten the whole thing! Well... not the whole thing, my son helped with about a 1/3rd of it! But I felt so disgusted afterword. I know popcorn is one of the more healthier snacks for you to choose if you must have something salty... but a whole bag? Ew.

I was shown this SITE from a friend (her site is HERE) that has lots of detail about HCG, including some awesome info on NOT CHEATING. This is what she says on the subject:



  1. Do not be afraid of cheating--you have complete control whether you give into temptation or not. Just because someone else has cheated does not mean you will cheat as well. Many, many people have done the protocol without cheating, and you can too. Prepare yourself for the fact that you will *want* to cheat, but *acting* on the thought is your solely decision.
  2. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.
  3. Do NOT cheat, this cannot be stated enough, it is a waste of time and money and NOT WORTH IT! Also know that if you cheat, you will gain more than you would not on hCG.
  4. To get your mind off of wanting to cheat, focus your attention on something else. You can take a walk, go to the library, movie theater, or visit with friends. It is also nice to find a support system, whether it be through an online group (visit here), a buddy who is following the diet with you, family member(s), etc. Just make sure you have someone to stop you from cheating.
  5. Create a cabinet in your kitchen which supports your diet. Store your teas, Stevia, Apple Cider Vinegar, Grissini/Melba, fruit, etc. and use this special place to “snack” with items that are all allowed on the protocol.
  6. Do NOT create your own substitutions. Dr. Simeons created a specific list of foods to eat and studied each food intensely. If you start making substitutions, then Dr Simeons' protocol becomes weaker and weaker, and eventually will become completely ineffective. It is the substitutions to the protocol that give the program a bad reputation; it needs to be precisely followed.
  7. Do not interfere with your own weight loss success by not following the protocol! Dr Simeons' program eliminates and/or reduces sugar and carbohydrate cravings. However, if sugar and carbohydrates remain in your diet (except for the allowed starch), you are not allowing your body to cleanse and your hypothalamus to reset. These are the key to lifelong success.
  8. You don't need to understand why something will or will not work with the Simeons plan. There are many unexplainable factors to the program, you just need to know that substitutions to the protocol causes weight loss to slow. Just because something doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean you should change it. Do not expect to have the results produced on the Simeons protocol if you do not follow the Simeons protocol.
  9. Expect to have cravings, be hungry, and moody and expect to want to cheat. These expectations will let you be prepared to control the cravings, hunger, moods, and cheats. Prepare yourself for these feelings, but know that the decision to deviate is yours...stay strong and remember that only you are accountable for everything you put into your mouth.
  10. When you feel a craving coming on, go and brush your teeth; this should help the craving pass.
  11. Don't disappoint Dr. Simeons, he would not let someone remain on the hCG protocol if he/she cheated more than three times. You need to commit to the program and stay with it!
  12. The only way to fix a cheat is to get back on track and tell yourself that you will not cheat. The more you tell yourself that you cannot cheat, the stronger you should feel. If you allow yourself a bite of something, you have already cheated, and you should never make that allowance.
  13. When you use food as an emotional crutch, you will find it difficult to cope without that crutch while on the VLCD. You need to fill the empty spot with something healthy that you can enjoy, both on and off the protocol. This will not only reduce cravings, but also help you maintain your new healthy weight. Some possibilities include crafting, painting, walking, gardening.
  14. If you go forward and cheat, you have to take responsibility for that cheat. You should feel guilty and unsatisfied, and you will pay for the cheat for three to five days. This can be 3-5 days of the scale going up, or staying the same. You have to pay for your mistakes, and it sure is time consuming. There is nothing you can do except stop cheating and vow to yourself that you will not cheat again.
So here's to less than 2 more weeks of NON-CHEATING and super weight loss for good!! :)

Monday, February 22, 2010

Recipe Monday

Remember when I mentioned I made my own Chicken Bouillon base for soups? Well, now you can make it too! It's super easy and smells soooo good! Just be careful when adding spices as Creole can become VERY spicy! :)

Chicken Bouillon Base

3 lg Chicken breasts

8C. Water

1/4t. Garlic powder

1/4t. Onion salt

1/4t. Celery salt

1/4t. Poultry seasoning

1/4t. Black pepper

1 1/2t. Sea salt

Combine ingredients in soup pot and cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken and refrigerate or freeze to use later. 2C. Bouillon for soup or 4TBS. to sauté veggies.


Friday, February 19, 2010

Friday follow-up

I never realized how rough February would be for me. Especially this year.

You see in February, not only is it Valentine's Day, but it is also my husband's birthday, his mom's birthday and our anniversary. It was a crazy month and it's not over yet!
This year (during V-Day weekend) his sister happened to move to the SLC area, making a stop here for a night.
With all the family visits, I indulged. Well, the first visit I kept to my diet and did REALLY well. But I felt left out, not the fam's fault AT ALL. So the next 2 visits, I decided I was going to be careful, but allow myself to indulge with them. So first was the Chorizo Tacos (can I say YUMMY!?), and the second was Chilis (I think the chips and salsa and mayo on my sandwich are what hurt... but so yummy!). And both times followed with cupcakes and/or cake to celebrate birthdays. I also had some Valentines Granny B's cookies (if you live in or near Utah, you know what those are!) laying around (my husband and now my son LOVE them!). And then there was the V-Day candy (that we purchased the NEXT day so save some $$). So you can see... it was just tragedy waiting to strike (I gained 6lbs.).
With all that going on, I decided I would use those indulgences as "load days" for a 2nd round.
So Wednesday was my 1st day back on the 500Cal diet. And I must say, I thought I did VERY well. The next morning I weighed myself super excited to have lost at least 2lbs.... but was very quickly disappointed with the fact that I had GAINED another 2?! I was super devastated to say the least.
So this morning I got back on the scale, not really expecting anything and I had lost 3lbs (well 5 actually, I didn't save the 2lbs increase from the day before). That seems like a lot in one day, and I think the 2lb increase could have been the result of dead batteries in my Balance Board.

So I'm sittin' pretty at almost where I left off before the indulgences, super excited to finish this round and have the fat be gone forever!!

Today's menu:

Creole seasoned steak with diced tomatoes and chives and strawberries for dessert. Yum!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Grissini Breadsticks, anyone?!


I have 11 boxes (3.5oz each) of these bad boys (they're actually really yummy!!) and I know how hard it is to find them in Southern Utah, so if you're interested I'm selling them for $3/box or $2.50ea. if you buy 2 or more boxes. You can email me stacilee84@gmail.com for more info!

I will be making a trip to St. George in a week or so, and I can deliver it then.... or anytime in Cedar/surrounding areas!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Recipe Monday... err.. Tuesday?!

Sorry, I forgot yesterday was Monday. You see, Sunday was Valentine's Day and then yesterday was my hubster's birthday... so it was kind of a crazy weekend! Forgive me for forgetting the recipe yesterday?! I actually forgot it was Monday until this morning!

So here it is, the Green Chile Chorizo Taco Recipe... SUPER YUMMY!

Green Chile Chorizo
Ingredients

1 large fresh poblano chile
1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 medium bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Prepare the flavorings. Roast the poblano chile directly over a gas flame or 4 inches below a very hot electric broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Cool until handle able, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the stem and seed pod. Quickly rinse to remove any seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and scoop into a food processor, along with the serrano(s) and cilantro. Pulse until uniformly chopped, then run the machine until you have a coarse puree.

2. Finish the sausage. In a large bowl, combine the pork with the green seasonings and the salt—your hand is the most efficient utensil for working the seasonings thoroughly into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before frying to sprinkle over queso fundido, into soups or over huevos rancheros.

Makes 1.5lbs.


Green Chile Chorizo Tacos
Ingredients

Corn Tortillas
Shredded Cheese
Green Chile Chorizo
Onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare chorizo at least 4hrs ahead of time. Place into skillet. When 3/4 the way done, add onions and cook until well done.
Place about 6 corn tortillas between 2 sheets of damp paper towels, microwave for 1min. Repeat until desired amount of taco shells are cooked.
Place tortilla in 13x9 pan with one edge up against short side of pan. Fill with one spoonful Chorizo and sprinkle with cheese. Fold up other edge of tortilla to form taco shell. Place 2nd tortilla next, matching up edges and fill the same way. Repeat until pan is full (usually about 12-15 tacos per pan).
Bake for 20 min, then BROIL for 2min. Top with diced tomatoes, lettuce and salsa.

Now, go make some!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

New Look

I finally felt brave enough to put on my "Skinny Jeans pt. 1" and take a picture. I was able to wear these jeans comfortably almost a year ago... but then they became too tight. These aren't my REAL skinny jeans(which is actually a short black skirt), but they're the beginning of great things to come!

And I got a new 'do. I so {heart} it! She made the color just what I wanted (as blonde as my hair would go in one sitting anyway) and went to town cutting it super cute-like!

Monday, February 8, 2010

My Goal

Well you can probably tell I've past up the 3-week-of-500-Calorie-Diet mark,(you can go as short as 23 days, or as long as 40 remember) but I have a reason for doing so. I want to lose 17 more lbs in 17 days (the 24th of Feb). If I lose the 17lbs before the 24th, then I'm on to the 1,000 Cal Diet. Either way, I stop at the 24th.
So far I'm right on track with my loss and very excited to have an end-date in sight! When finished with the 500 Cal Diet, I will be down 35lbs!! Woohoo!!

Recipe Monday -- Round Steak w/ Tomatoes

I've decided to declare Mondays "Recipe Monday."

Each Monday while on hCG, I will post a recipe that I've found... starting TODAY!

I know I said I was going to post the Chorizo Tacos I made, and I will... but that will have to wait til next Monday!
Today's recipe didn't come to me just while on the hCG Diet, but I grew up eating it. It has always been my FAVORITE meal... and when I'd come home from school and see it and smell it cooking, I'd instantly be in heaven. And the best part about this meal? It contains only TWO ingredients, that's right -- TWO. Perfect for the hCG Diet. Here it is:

Ingredients:

Round Steak
1-4 Cans of Diced Tomatoes (depending on the size of round steak you have)

Instructions:

Place one can of diced tomatoes into crock pot, add steak, add more cans of tomatoes until steak is covered. Cook on low for 4-6hrs, until steak is tender enough to come apart with a fork.
That's it, in a nutshell.

Now, if you want to be more fancy you can do the following to the steak prior to putting it into the pot:
Coat steak with the following rub mixture: Sea Salt, Pepper, Minced Garlic, Onion Salt, Celery Salt and Italian Seasonings. Place steak into HOT skillet (with a tiny bit of olive oil) and just sear both sides. Then place into crock pot and allow to continue cooking.

I've done both methods and they taste the same to me... yummy deliciousness. I figure about 3/4can of tomatoes is a serving for hCG dieters, as most of the tomatoes cook down and leave you with lots of yummy juice.

To Serve (to the hCG dieter):
Cut about 3oz cooked steak and cube into bite-sized pieces in a soup bowl (or just pull apart as that's how tender it should be). Cover with tomatoes and juice. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Enjoy.

It may not seem filling, but it actually is.

How easy was that?!

If you're not on the hCG Diet, a side that is SUPER Yummy to have with this are those Herb-Butter Mashed Potatoes (using the tomato juice as gravy) --- YUMM!!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

...

I don't really have anything to post about today... but it's been about a week since my last post and I thought I'd just let you know I'm still here... and I'm still workin hard at this thing. If you notice the tracker above it says I've lost 16lbs so far. That's including the 5lbs I lost in December. I hit a two-week slump for some reason where I didn't lose (or gain) anything... so it's nice to jump on the scale this week and see some improvement.
Last weekend, I almost gave up. I felt like I was STARVING and yet I wasn't losing anything... I had hit rock bottom. So Saturday I did an Apple Day to jump start it again. I only ate 3 apples, and it was HARD to get the last one down... I felt like I was gonna puke. Later that night, I had to eat a piece of bread. I felt much better after that, and the next day I had lost 2lbs!
My in-laws are coming in today to celebrate my husband's birthday and I'm making Green Chile Chorizo tacos... I've never had it, but it sounds so good. I am going to enjoy it with them... and probably have an Apple Day tomorrow. I will pass on the cupcakes though... I fear that will put me too far over the edge. I'm making sure all the fixin's to go along with the tacos are super healthy so it won't be too much of an indulgence.

Speaking of healthy alternatives, I HIGHLY recommend reading "Eat this, Not that." They have a few different versions, I have the 2010 version and some of the things in it are a complete SHOCK to me! You'd think ordering a salad at a restaurant would be healthier than a steak right?! Wrong. If you're planning on eating at Applebee's you're best choice would be a house Sirloin with veggies. (Weird, that's my fav meal there!) And a Big Mac is MUCH healthier than a Whopper (WHAT?! I know!). Not only does it help you determine what you should (and SHOULDN'T) eat at restaurants, it tells you the best choices to make at the supermarket as well... go read it! It's a small, simple book with lots of pictures! Super fun!!

I know it's not hCG-approved, but I will post the recipe to tonight's tacos (upon determining if they're tasty or not).

Have a great Groundhog Day!!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Week #2

So last week was rough for me, and I felt really ashamed to post about anything because of my failure.... but then I realized that is what this blog is for... to overcome those hard times. So here it is...

All I wanted was soup. It was cold and snowy all week and I just wanted some dang soup. So when I found that recipe book, I found a recipe for a Chicken Bouillon Base that is used in pretty much all of the soup recipes. So I decided to make a big batch of it. Mmmm... it smelled like Thanksgiving in my house. I saved a bowlful for the freezer for soup another time, and a cupful for the fridge to saute veggies. The rest I added 3 days worth of celery and beef and spices. I don't know what went awry with my spices but when I went to eat a bowl of it for dinner, I about died! My lips, my tongue, my throat were BURNING!! That had to be the spiciest thing I've ever had! Water wasn't helping at all so I decided I needed a piece of bread. Uh oh. Oops #1.

Right after eating it I felt like total crap, like a complete failure. I almost gave up actually. And that's when all the doubt started filling up my mind. The hCG, to me, kind of tasted like a watered down liquid Stevia, and as I was looking for liquid Stevia, I found out it comes in the same container. So I began to be skeptical. I mentioned it to my hubs and he reassured me that probably wasn't the case and I should stop thinking like that.
So the whole week wasn't a good one for me. I only gained not quite 2lbs during that week, so that was a good thing... but I needed to be more strict with myself.

So I will be re-doing week #2 in way. After being REALLY good on Monday, I got back down to my pre-Week#2 weight and now today I've lost another almost pound-and-a-half. I'm confident that I'm back on track!

Friday, January 22, 2010

hCG Recipe book... a must have!

I found THIS on Amazon and it finally came yesterday. It has soo many good recipes that I never would have thought of! I have been wanting soup so bad... it actually has a chicken bouillon base recipe that you can use to make the soups. I made that base today and am now making a beef stew! I can't wait!!!

Seafood Ceviche Recipe

So the recipe actually calls to make it with Shrimp, but I've been a little "anti-shrimp" lately (it's just not the same cooked at home...), but I'm sure it would taste GREAT on any kind of seafood that's HCG-approved!
Here it is (I cut the recipe in half and it made PLENTY!):

2 lg. lemons (about 1cup)
2-3 lg. limes (about 1cup)
1 TBS. fresh minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 Cubanel or other mild pepper ( I used a poblano*)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1-3 TBS Tabasco or hot sauce (I used El Pato, about 1/3C.)
4 lg. tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
fresh Cilantro (about 1/2Cup)
fresh Parsley (about 1/2Cup -- I didn't use)
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a non-metal bowl combine all ingredients.

If mixing seafood right into it, do this:
Cook seafood and rinse. Combine juices of lemons and limes in a baggie and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add hot sauce, garlic, onion and pepper and mix evenly. Return to fridge for another 30 min. Before serving, toss in the cilantro, parsley, tomatoes and cucumbers; add salt and pepper to taste.

GREAT on Melba toast! I boiled up a lobster tail, pulled out the meat and put a few tablespoons of the ceviche on top and man it was DELCIOUS!!

Does anyone know an easier way for getting the meat out of the tail?!




*I LOVE our local BYU Channels, especially Create (11-4 for us). It has two of my most favorite chefs: Ming Tsai (Simply Ming; he combines East w/ West ingredients in one-pot meals), and Rick Bayless (Mexico, One Plate at a Time). This season, Rick has been grilling Poblano peppers quite a bit, and so I thought I would try it for this recipe. Here's how:

Put pepper directly onto a grill (I don't know if I had a bad pepper, or if the George Foreman just doesn't work for this, Rick uses his grill that's on his stove) and keep turning until it's nice and charred. Once it's pretty black let it cool until you can handle it. Under running water, peel off the charred skin and cut pepper open. Cut out seed pod and rinse well. Then chop it up! Yum!!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Beginning of Week 2...

Well, I needed to see where I stood yesterday, so I broke down and weighed myself. I lost another 2 lbs since Friday! But my normal weigh-in day is today, so I weighed myself again... I LOST ANOTHER 4 LBS!! This is amazing! I haven't been this small since April! (another great reason to weigh yourself with Wii Fit)

I feel I have a little bit of explaining to do... the other day I mentioned I cheated a bit. It wasn't anything SUPER BAD like going to McDonald's for a Big Mac or anything like that... it was just a little thing...

I was making my son toast for breakfast and I usually cut off the crust and I eat it and give him the rest. That day I did just that. As I was finishing the first little corner, I looked at my husband and said "What the crap am I doing?" and threw the rest away. I feel bad for wasting good bread like that, but I have to for now. Then either later that night or the night before, I had a huge headache that wasn't going away so I ate 2 little Dark Chocolate Hersey Kisses.

To me that was a huge failure... but it was just a small cheat in reality. But I do need to be more careful with my day-to-day things that I USED to do...

I am also very grateful for my husband in being so supportive. He wanted me to buy him a bag of potato chips the other day... and when he eats them, he makes sure I'm not around. I also told him I would make him more of his favorite Christmas cookies... but he has to be patient because I can't make them until I'm finished.... and he's been very good at not eating around me. In return, I've cooked him a few DELICIOUS meals...

I tell you, one thing I'm so excited to make as soon as I'm finished..... Soup. Yup... Soup. That's all I've been craving lately with it being so cold outside.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

I can't be dieting...


this just tastes TOO GOOD to be diet food! Today for lunch I had steak and salad... here's how I made it.

I sprinkled Rosemary, Coriander, Salt and Pepper over both sides of the steak and let it sit for about 30 min (overnight would be OK too).
I then grilled it on my George Foreman (Thanks Mom!) watching it carefully so as not to burn, turning it every so often.
Once it was grilled to perfection, I cut it up and added it to a plate of sliced and quartered tomato drizzled with Red Wine Vinegar, salt and pepper and chives. Then I realized that Salad doesn't weigh anything, so I added a small handful on top and broke up a Melba toast for crunch. I then added more S&P and one packet of this DELICIOUS dressing (I used Ranch today, not my fav!)
I cannot begin to tell you how good this was! I was literally in HEAVEN!! And I actually felt FULL!
I couldn't find this dressing anywhere in stores, so I bought it from Amazon, along with some Grissini. I am so glad I did... it makes this so much easier. And who doesn't love Red Wine Vinegar?! It's my new favorite!!


Enjoy!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Yummy Halibut Recipe

I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to eat Halibut as I can't have it covered in Tempura and deep fried, dipped in sauce. Well here's what I did and it was SUPER YUMMY!

(start out with the bag of Halibut filets from Wal*Mart, about $4/bag for 3 -- they're already measured into about 3.5oz!)
De-thaw filet in a bowl of water, I added a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Grill on a George Foreman until flaky
Once cooked, squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon, add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes

I also made green beans to go with it (I used the Fresh GB from Schwans)
cooking according to directions, measuring the amount I needed, then I added the same seasonings as the Halibut.... SOOO YUMMY!!

Closing of Week One -- Results

I've decided rather than weigh myself EVERYDAY (which isn't good!), or even once a week (too little if you ask me), I would weigh myself every FRIDAY and TUESDAY mornings. The best time to weigh yourself is:

A. After you've gotten out of bed and pee'd
B. BEFORE you eat or drink anything!
C. Naked. (well, I keep my undies on because of I have a little man that LOVES "playing" Wii Fit with me!)

So today was my first time weighing myself since starting the 500 calorie diet. I was a bit skeptical as I'll admit, I cheated a bit the past 2 days... but no more!

Ready for this though? Even though I did cheat a bit, I still LOST the 3.7lbs I gained during my Load Days!

Go me!!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Keeping Holiday foods in check...

Most people gain around 10lbs during the holidays, hence the #1 New Year's Resolution: Lose Weight.
This year, however, I LOST 5lbs during the holidays! How? Well... I'm really not sure, but I have a few ideas.

Thanksgiving, for starters, wasn't a good day for me to begin with. It was pretty rough and food was the last thing on my mind. Once things settled a bit, I snacked on a veggie plate I created. During dinner our son was very squirmy, and I didn't get to eat much (which is totally fine!). We didn't have rolls, which I usually have 3 or 4 dowsed in gravy... yumm!! That was ok too! I kept my dinner to one small plate of mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing... and I didn't have seconds, only a piece of pie later. That's it.
When we got home, I went and bought items to make our own Turkey dinner and made my FIRST ever Turkey... soo yummy!! But after that we were so busy packing and moving that my husband actually had to stop me and make me eat something. I didn't even eat leftovers of that yummy meal much.
Once we got moved in we didn't want to go grocery shopping so we ate out quite a bit (BAD I know!) and my stomach didn't appreciate that very much.

Then came Christmas Eve. I made a super delicious Prime Rib and Dutch Oven Potatoes. That was the one meal of the holidays that I actually stuffed myself with. I LOVE love love Prime Rib!
Christmas Day we drove to my mom's for dinner and once again I didn't really eat a lot of the yummy Turkey dinner. We also have a cheese ball, shrimp, veggies, sausage/cheese/crackers, pie, cookies, candies, etc during Christmas and my mom did not slip up at all! It was all there... and it was all delicious. But for some reason, I just had no desire for it. I even made my own cheese ball earlier in the week and couldn't eat it, and mine was no where NEAR as good as my mom's (she puts nuts around hers). I did finish off her shrimp and ate a lot of veggies, oh and pie! I really wanted pumpkin and apple pie this year.

The week between Christmas and New Years, we had some friends come over and we vegged on corn dogs, taquitos, chips and salsa, veggies, and shrimp. It was a great time. I also made a 7layer dip in one of those disposable 9x9 cake pans, in which we did a good job of destroying half of it that night! Well... the next day I disposed of the rest of it by my lonesome (sooo yummy!).

For New Years we went back to my mom's and I brought a veggie tray and another 7 layer dip (in which I ate almost half before anyone else arrived, luckily J.Jr. brought a larger one with him!). Rather than having a dinner, we just vegged again. We had hot wings, corn dogs, taquitos, chips salsa and guac, sausage cheese and crackers, a cheese ball, veggies, cookies, candy, pie... soooo much good stuff! But once again I stuck with the dip and taquitos and veggies.... oh and pie!

A few days later I weight myself for the first time in at least a month... no, probably closer to two months... and I had lost 5lbs!

So if I can give any advice on holiday eating... instead of snacking on cookies and candy, snack on some yummy veggies and be careful with everything else!

Day 1 of 500 Calorie Diet

Well as you can see I gained a few pounds the past 2 days... it's really sad. I did so well during the holidays in actually LOSING 5lbs (post to come about that) and now I've almost gained it all back... but it's for a good cause. I really think those two load days are essential in losing weight on this program. It was actually harder than I thought to eat high fat foods. After one meal, I felt so bloated and gross I didn't want to even think about food again... but I had to just keep going. I probably could have eaten a lot more than I did... but my stomach is already killing me!!

So far this morning I've had an orange with salt and a melba toast and two glasses of water. In about an hour and a half I'm going to have steak and a tomato. Then strawberries and melba toast for my afternoon snack, and halibut and green beans for dinner.

I have so much energy lately, I don't know if it's the hCG or I'm excitement to how I'll look in a month... but I just can't sit still!

Going to be another good day! And we're supposed to get snow tonight! Yay!

Monday, January 11, 2010

FYI: Info about "Apple Days"

If your weight loss plateaus for one week, you may be able to do an "Apple Day" if you fit one of these categories:
  1. "just because" plateau-- everyone will have one sooner or later. It usually lasts 4-6 days and can occur around day 20, or the end of the hCG cycle. It always corrects itself, but you may do an "apple day" to correct it. Make sure to drink plenty of water so your body doesn't store extra.
  2. menstration-- during your "time," your weight loss will plateau. At the end of your cycle you will need to do an apple day to get back on track. Continue taking hCG and doing the 500 Calorie diet, unless other prescribed by a Doc.
  3. dietary error-- if an error is made you will be set back 3-4 days and an apple day will not help you.
What is an "Apple Day?"

During an Apple Day you are to eat six apples whenever you feel the desire. The body will store water if your normal intake falls below requirements (10glasses). Apples have an enzyme in them that release water retention.

REMEMBER: It is useless to do an apple day unless your weight has been stationary for at least one week WITHOUT ANY DIETARY ERROR HAVING BEEN COMMITTED.

Grocery shopping



Eye of Round Steaks (almost zero marbling)

One of the reasons I waited until today to start was due to the lack of grocery funds. As many of you know, the EBT card gets renewed today! So I got my son all ready and we took off for a fun-filled adventure to Walmart and Smiths. I had a very small list to go off, but it ended up being HUGE with the fact I have to have meals for him, as well as food for my husband (soo picky he is) PLUS my hCG items. Luckily, my son and I can share a lot of the veggies and fruit.

So after about two hours, we were finally on our way home (with Hermie's in hand...)

I have a question! Have any of you found Grissini breadsticks anywhere here in Cedar?! I found Melba Toast... but no Grissini. Darn.

I did load up on tons of apples and oranges and a few grapefruits as well as lots of veggies.

Tomorrow is Load Day #2.... and I may not post until I've had my first 500 Cal. Day! So until next time... thanks for supporting me!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Gettin' ready...

Tomorrow I officially start hCG. I'm a wee bit nervous, but oh so excited! For my "load days" I'm planning on having my 4 favorite meals: Panda, Hermies, Pizza Hut and McDonalds. Crazy, I know... but I love em. Every time I try to diet and exercise and be good I ALWAYS end up craving McDonald's. So I figure if I eat it as my last meal... I should be OK!!

Wish me luck... and I'll check back in later!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Why am I doing this?

In 2007, I was diagnosed with ITP and spent 7 months having to take an awful steroid, Prednisone. If any of you know anything about this drug, it makes your face puff up, as well as the rest of your body. I gained 40lbs. during that short time. I was finally released from Prednisone Hell in Sept. of 2007. At that time I tried Isagenix, and logged my daily accomplishments, which really helped me lose a few pounds and inches.
But alas, in Feb of 2008 I became pregnant and could no longer diet. I had a hard time gaining weight as I could not stand the mere THOUGHT of food. I finally started gaining a healthy weight around 6 months, and had lost ALL of my baby fat by 6 weeks after my sweet little boy was born.

What happened after that is a mystery to me, and one that I regret. Since having my baby, I've gained a good 25lbs.

Which is why I'm here... writing this.

After high school I was able to fit into size 10 pants, which was HEAVEN to me. I will not be posting my pre-weight until the end... but at this current time I'm fitting into size 16/18 pants. I hate it. Something needs to be done and I've tried just about everything. I would be in heaven once again if I could get down to wearing size 12 pants. My goal is to get back to size 10's.... but I'll settle for 12's.

What is the hCG diet?

HCG is a hormone naturally produced in the body. It is the pregnancy hormone, but during pregnancy the levels double every two days. This hormone allows the body to mobilize fat and use it as energy for both mother and fetus. For weight loss, only a very small amount of HCG is used to capitalize on this same mechanism. Using it this way does not mimic pregnancy; but can in fact be used by both men and women.

This is how the diet works:

The max is can last is 40 days (6 weeks).
Day 1 and 2
You begin taking the HCG as directed (a dropperful 3x a day under tongue) and eat foods high in fat. The fat will not stick but will be used as energy and as an appetite suppressant through-out the diet.

Day 3 - 40
Begin the 500 calorie diet plan:
  • 3.5oz Protein, twice daily (Chicken, Steak, Fresh White Fish, Crab, Shrimp, Lobster)
  • 3.5oz Fresh Vegetable, twice daily (Spinach, Green Salad, Tomatoes, Celery, Onions, Radishes, Cucumbers, Asparagus, Cabbage, Broccoli, Zucchini, and Green Beans)
  • Two Fruit portions daily (Apple, Strawberries, Orange, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Honey Dew Melon)
  • Grisini Bread or Melba Toast, twice a day
  • Fluids, 10 glasses daily (Tea, Soda Water, Water, Diet Soft Drink)
This is what that looks like on a daily basis:
  • Fluids only for one hour after waking
  • 9AM One Fruit and 1 Breadstick/Toast
  • 12PM 3.5oz Protein and 3.5oz Veggies
  • 3PM One Fruit and 1 Breadstick/Toast
  • Dinner 3.5oz. Protein and 3.5oz Veggies
  • Fluids only and nothing for one hour before bed
Day 41-43
Continue 500 calorie diet for 3 days. After this you may now start maintenance phase. Fat may be added back in moderately. Sugars and Starches can be added in after 3 weeks have passed.

3 Weeks Maintenance
Begin 1000 calorie diet. It will take 3 weeks of maintenance before the weight reached at the end of treatment becomes stable and does not fluctuate.

1000 Calorie Diet:

Fruit: 4 servings
Veggies: 2- 7oz. servings
Protein: 2- 7oz servings
Dairy: very sparingly
Oil: 3 tsp.

Good to know extras:

One tsp. Milk allowed per day.
Salt, Pepper, Vinegar and other spices are freely available.
Juice of 1 lemon or lime daily.
Walden Farms dressings are allowed.
Sugar-free gum is OK.


So there it is in a nut-shell. I know this is going to be hard... but I'm so excited to start it. I think it will really help me jump-start my weight loss so I can get back to a Healthy ME!!


*!*SIDE NOTE*!*
I know some of you are thinking "this isn't healthy... why is she doing this?" Well ya know what... it's my last hope. It's only for 6 weeks, and I really think it will help. But I need your support. So please hold off on anything negative for AT LEAST 6 weeks. Thanks!