Saturday, January 30, 2010

Wow! Week 6 is here! Total weight loss in 35 days- 23.4 lbs

Day 36: Weight 193.6. That means I only lost 3 pounds in week 5, but I cheated. If I hadn't cheated I know I would be closer to 30 pounds lost. My cheats have been really significant. But in all reality, on other diets I was unable to lose 3 pounds a week so I am still very happy!! My focus right now is to NOT CHEAT at all until Valentine's Day! My goal weight for Valentines Day is 180. That's a little less than a pound a day...and if I would quit cheating I might be able to pull it off. And then I plan to cheat for dinner that night, lol!

Speaking of cheating, I did again last night. After the Steak and Shake incident, and then last night I hope I've gotten it out of my system. Last night I had some of those frozen taquitos, dipped in cheese sauce and refried beans. I did the beans myself with no fat- so that is a plus. I also ate a few home-baked chocolate chip cookies, and a PEANUT BUTTER EGG!!! And you know what's weird, it wasn't as good as I was expecting. I didn't even eat the whole thing (?!) This of course is good news, maybe now I will quit fantasizing about them. But even better news- I was not up even an ounce this morning. I don't understand it, but I will take it!

Day 37: Weight 193.6. Ugh!! The same as 5 days ago. I sure hope I learned my lesson with cheating! Yesterday I made the BBQ sauce from the "Gourmet" cookbook and it was so good! I ate a grilled chicken breast on half a thin bun smothered in the BBQ. Mmmmm! I also ate a salad- yuck! I have got to find a way to enjoy salads again. For dinner my dh was dying to cook out- yes, in the SNOW :) So we had steak and zuchinni, cooked on the grill. It was so good! I baked an apple for dessert. I am really starting to get sick of this diet- I need some inspiration!

Day 38: Weight 193.2. Well, at least it is a smidgen down today. Yesterday for lunch I had another grilled chicken breast smothered in BBQ sauce, but wrapped it in one of my tortillas. I also ate half a grapefruit and a salad. I put some apple cider vinegar and lemon juice on it, it was edible. Need more ideas on that... For dinner I scrambled eggs and planned to smother them in salsa. When I got the salsa out of the fridge, the bottle was EMPTY! *&%@* teenagers!! I was so dissapointed. I put a little hot-wing sauce on them, but it just wasn't the same. Also, I was counting the tomatoes to be my veggie. That put me in a BAD mood for the rest of the evening!! Well, I got through it with no bodies to hide. For now...

Day 39: Weight 193.2. The same...again. Well, considering I ate a peanut butter & Jelly sandwich for dinner I got off lucky. Oh yeah, I forgot I ate some pringles too. So much for my goal of not cheating. I am definately a stress eater, and I let yesterday get to me. I am in control now, let's hope I stay there. For lunch yesterday I ate some soup I made with chicken, celery and miracle noodles in it. It was actually really yummy. And besides the PB&J accident, I ate a grapefruit. I hope this slip-up doesn't cost me 5 days of progress like the last one did.

Day 40: Weight 192.8. Yeah!! The scale is moving again!! Yesterday for lunch I ate a huge salad, an apple and a Jay Robb shake. For dinner I got some cucumbers and chicken breast off the salad bar at Dillons. I ate it during my very long, very boring class last night. I was so exhausted I went straight to bed when I got home.

Day 41: Weight 191.4. Wow! 1.4 pounds! I'm stoked!! Yesterday for lunch I ate some really delicious strawberries, Mmmmm! I also ate one of those special tortillas, with lettuce and some lean taco meat. Of course tons of salsa as well! It was very filling and satisfying. For dinner I wasn't hungry, so I ended up just eating a chicken breast with the BBQ sauce that I made. I smothered it, so am counting the tomato for my veggie. I also ate a taquito dipped in cheese sauce ;) Thank goodness that didn't come back to haunt me!!Today I am going to eat the same thing for lunch and see if tomorrow is another big loss.

DAy 42: Weight 191.0. Whoo-hoo! Another .4 pounds...I'm glad it's continuing to go down. I need to make it 9 more days (and hopefully 10 more pounds :)) without a single cheat! Yesterday I ate the lean ground beef "taco" salad again, but put the tortilla in the toaster oven to make it nice and crispy. Mmmmm...tostada! I ate strawberries for dessert, yummers! For dinner I ate some chicken "miracle" noodle soup and it was really good! Of course I put extra spicy in it. I have been craving chocolate chip cookies, homemade ones fesh out of the oven. I can't wait till phase 4...

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Week 5....lost over 20 pounds in 4 weeks!!! Whoo-hoo!!

Day 29: Weight 196.6. That puts my total weight lost in the first 28 days at 20.4 pounds! I am soooo excited. I have managed to stay in one-derland all week, even with a cheat. If I don't cheat all all, I am hoping to be at 160 pounds by the middle of March. That is how much I weighed when I met the love of my life, so that is my goal. I might go a little lower eventually, but that's where I'm aiming. I figure that is 36 pounds away, and 50 days, so I should be able to do it. Then I will go to phase 3 for 3 weeks, and by my birthday I will be able to eat whatever I want!! I need to stay focused...

Today I am going to have a Jay Robb shake again for lunch, it is so much easier to not have to plan my meal. I am going to blend it up with my strawberries. Mmmm. Not sure about a veggie yet. I might make a soup. Depends on how I feel. TOM is wrapping up, and it was not a great week, so I may just veg out all day :)

Day 30: Weight 196.2. Well, .4 more gone. I was looking at a height/weight chart, and I need to get to 169 to be considered just "overweight" instead of obese. That will be a GREAT feeling!! I went to the mall today with my dh- NO KIDS!!! I was trying on pants and the 16's zipped up without a problem! I didn't even have to lay on the ground or ask hubby to help, lol!! I even found a pair of 14's I was planning to get anyway, and just wanted to see how close I was, and they FIT!!! I know they're all made differently, but I was on cloud 9! I have been "high on life" ever since. And any thought of cheating was completely out of my head. It made up for the kind of crappy week at work, although I have to walk back into the fire tomorrow I guess.

For lunch today I made the "miracle omelet", or so it's called. After I realized it helps me lose if I do it a couple times a week, I posted it on the forum. Now that's what everybody is calling it. I made it different today. I basically just scrambled my eggs and then put tons of salsa on it, so the tomatoes would be my veggie. I ate an apple for a snack, and then for dinner panfried tilapia and made some cabbage. I am really hoping for a big loss tomorrow. It will match my big head from fitting into those 14's, hahahaha!!

Day 31: Weight 195.4. Almost another pound! It's nice to see that number on the scale. I have been switching over from the injections to the HhCG drops, and haven't felt as hungry. Today feels pretty good, and I did not do an injection today. I don't think it matters, as I think the injections have lost their potency. I am going to stop at the store after work and get me a filet mignon. That sounds really good for dinner!

Day 32: Weight 194.8. That's another half pound! It is so exciting to see the number go down every day. I am planning to keep going until I get to my original goal of 160, and then switch to phase 3, if I can make it that long. I figure that will be about mid-March. Then I could go back to phase 2 if I wanted to lose a little more. Yesterday was tough. I wasn't hungry, but I wanted everything! Especially Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. They are my all-time favorite candy! I am actually fantasizing about them. But I keep telling myself I am stronger than a little chocolate egg- It won't defeat me!! I was hoping to be down a little more, as I read about a "mini" steak day for phase 2. I didn't eat anything all day long and then for dinner I ate a filet and tomato. I guess it didn't work super great, but I am down!! I think if I'd eaten an apple for lunch it would have helped. I also need to start making sure I get all my water in! Also, I have tried to stop obsessing about the scale. It is driving me nuts!!! I've started just recording the weight it says the first time I get on it, and I don't get on it any other time like I used to. I hate it that every time I get on it, there is a different number!

Day 33: Weight 193.6! WOW! Over a pound! The # is getting smaller and smaller. I am going to start posting about what I ate the next day, so it corresponds with the amount lost a little better. I hope this doesn't confuse my loyal followers! Yesterday I ate some buffalo chicken breast and strawberries for lunch. I did not have time to eat my salad. Then for dinner I did something "off-protocol". I sliced my tilapia filet into 4 strips, got it a little wet and rolled it in crumbs. The crumbs were 1 melba toast and Mrs. Dash seasoning. Then I placed on foil and baked in the oven. They were crispy little fish sticks!! Would have been great to dip in something like horseradish or anything legal. But I put them on one of my special tortillas with some shredded cabbage and salsa to make a fish taco. It was really good! I will probably do this again! I haven't eaten my second fruit in such a long time. I am afraid if I add it back now I might not lose as well?

Day 34: Weight 194.0. I am up .4 pounds, but I am happy about that! ;) The reason I am happy is that I cheated last night. Yes, AGAIN!!! I don't know what's wrong with me.... We went down to Branson to get the refill on our injections, and then went shopping and stopped at Steak and Shake for dinner. My cousin- who is also doing this protocol- ordered a grilled chicken salad, with no cheese, bacon or croutons. And no dressing. I was thinking to order the same, but I need dressing!! So the more I thought about cheating with ranch dressing, the more I figured I may as well really cheat and enjoy it. So I ate a double steakburger with cheese fries, and a sugar cookie. There, I admitted it. The whole way home I felt indegestion and bloat. My cousin was very satisfied and felt great. Why did I do it??????? I didn't even eat a peanut butter egg, dammit!!! Back on track for me, I have got to have more self-restraint than this. It was not worth it, that's for sure.

Day 35: Weight 193.6. I'm back to my pre-cheat weight! It didn't set me back as far as I thought it would. Yesterday for lunch I ate some of my buffalo chili and an apple. I had to go to class, and didn't have time to eat dinner until really late. I wasn't hungry at all, so I considered just skipping dinner altogether. I felt like I should at least get some protein in before I went to bed, so I scrambled 3 eggs (only 1 yolk) and put a little salsa on top. I guess it worked!! I can't believe this finishes up my 5th week. Time flies when you're having fun!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Already to Week 4- Down a total of 17.6 pounds in 21 days!

Day 22: Weight 199.4. I am up .4 today. Okay, confession time. I cannot believe I am still in ONE-derland. I truly don't deserve to be. I cheated yesterday BIG TIME!! For lunch yesterday, the gang from work went to a Mexican restaurant. I should have just stayed at my desk, eating my 250 calories, but how depressing would that be?! So I went with them. I LOVE Mexican food, but resolved to be as good as possible. Since I wasn't really hungry, it helped, but man did that stuff smell good. So I ordered a chicken fajita taco salad, with no cheese or sour cream. I only ate about 3-4 chips TOTAL (a big accomplishment for me, who used to down 2 baskets by myself) and ate the chicken with the lettuce, the guacamole, a little of the beans (yes, with lard I'm sure) and about 1/4 of the yummy, crunchy shell. Not too horribly bad considering the deep-fried chimichangas a few of the girls had, Mmmm. I felt okay with my decision, but was certain I'd pay for it today. Okay, not a huge cheat, but IT GETS WORSE. I actually thought about NOT posting this, but decided hiding in a closet won't help matters. At Wal-Mart, in the long checkout line I decided I could eat one, only one, Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. So I bought one. And I ate it soooo slowly, and savored every tiny bite. I was so happy!! Then later, at home I'm not sure what happened. I think I blacked out, lol, as someone else took over my body and ate some of the boneless General chicken chunks from the deli, a good-sized piece of cake with buttercream icing and a cherry pop-tart. This was all over the course of a few hours, but WTF?!?! I drank 2 cups of hot tea and hoped I wouldn't be back over 200 pounds, but felt it was worth it if I was. And here's the amazing part- besides NOT being over 200, I don't feel the massive sense of defeat that I have when I cheated on any other diet. I am not tempted to just throw in the towel and quit. I am also not going to make that mistake again- I really want to maximize my losses while on this phase of the diet. For lunch I had my spinach scramble- hoping for a miracle!! I am skipping both fruits and only eating the protein for dinner. This is all advice I pieced together from the forum I visit. Oh, I also skipped my injection today, as some of the members of the forum say it helps against immunity and stretches your money a wee bit further. The hCG stays in your system for 3 days, so I should be okay. For dinner I ended up eating chicken and cabbage. I made a teriyaki sauce from a P2 cookbook and it was really good. I only had a tiny bit of cabbage, and no fruit today.

Day 23: Weight 199.8. I am up ANOTHER .4 today. I should have expected it...they say a cheat costs 3 or 4 days of progress. Hopefully the scale will start moving down again tomorrow. I am going to eat an apple today for sure, I think it probably helps more than it hurts. My mother is spending the weekend with us, so my dh is taking me out while we have a sitter. I want to go to IHOP and order the tilapia with broccoli. Sounds nice to just get out together.

We ended up going to a movie, and didn't have enough time for IHOP, so we went to McDonald's right before the movie. I ordered a grilled chicken patty and 2 side salads. They only charge $1 for the patty, which usually I get the sandwich for $4 and throw away everything else, so good to know. We saw "It's Complicated" and it was sooooo funny. Probably the funniest I've seen in a while :) I ate an apple for a snack, and for dinner I ate tilapia and cucumbers.

Day 24: Weight 198.2. WOW!! I dropped a pound and a half!! Yeah! That day of cheating cost me a couple days progress, but I'm making headway again. Even after eating a McD's...I thought for sure they put something in their chicken that would make me gain- like corn syrup or something. It seems to be hiding in EVERYTHING!! For lunch today I had fajita chicken on lettuce with lots of salsa. I ate an apple in between, and for dinner ate a ground beef patty and cucumbers.

Day 25: Weight 198.6. Up .4?!?! I'm not sure why, I pretty much stuck to protocol yesterday. I did drink the Yerba Mate tea, and the one I bought has vanilla oil in it. The kind folks on the forum said it probably isn't enough to matter, but I was up a little last time I used it to. Also, I did a lot of walking yesterday- out selling Girl Scout Cookies with my girls. Maybe I over did it? The cookies come in on February 13, so I am going to have a really hard time when they arrive. I LOVE the peanut butter patties, and can eat them by the box full. Lord, please have mercy...

Even though I am up a little today, I am going to go a little off-protocol. For lunch I brought some tuna mixed with WF mayo, and a "thin bun". My colleague told me about them, and I figure they are not much worse than the melba toast. We'll see how they taste, as well as my weight tomorrow. The thin bun was okay, would definately work if I were craving bread. Dinner was chicken and a little butterfinger bar. Darnit!! Why does chocolate call my name so loudly? Damn TOM!!

Day 26: Weight 198.6. The same. Well, I will take a stall over a gain anyday!! I am just glad I am still in one-derland. I hope the butterfinger doesn't cause my weight to go up tomorrow. Today for lunch I tried a Jay Robb egg white skake. It was surprisingly good. I added a few drops of vanilla creme stevia and it was even better. I think if I were to put it in the blender with ice it would be super yummy!! I ate an apple, but didn't have time to eat my cucumber. I started an internship and lets just say this is going to be a long 16 weeks! For dinner I am going to have filet mignon, not sure what veggie yet.

Day 27: Weight 198.4. Well, I'm just going to "ounce" my way down I guess. It is TOM, so I'm not too worried. I think I'll have a really big loss after the weekend to make up for this. I made a new pot of chili last night. I found some buffalo meat at the store and it was on sale, so I made my chili with that. We'll see how it tastes. It is super fine in texture, instead of the bigger chunks like the ground beef. I also have a half grapefruit to eat with it. Too bad I can't have my saltine crackers with it. I used to eat an entire sleeve with soups and chilis, so I guess it's a good thing!! I have absolutley no idea what I am going to have for dinner. I need to plan ahead so I don't get myself into a bad situation!!

Day 28: Weight 197.2. Down 1.2!! I stopped at McDonald's for dinner last night after class. I got the side salad, grilled chicken patty and apple dippers. Today I brought a Jay Robb shake for lunch again. I am having a grapefruit and cucumbers as well. I can't believe this is wrapping up 4 whole weeks on the program. I had hoped to be down a little more, but that's what I get for cheating...

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Beginning Week 3.....down 12.2 pounds in two weeks!!

Day 15: Weight 204.8. That means I have gained 1/2 pound since yesterday. I am a little bummed. But that brings my total weight loss to 12.2 pounds in 14 days. That is still amazing! I was really hoping to be below the 200 pound mark this weekend, but now my goal is extended. I feel like I am so close, but so far away from it. Since I lost over 8 pounds the first week, that means I only lost like 4 the second week, so I may not be in ONE-derland until next weekend :( I was really hoping the coconut bark would be my saviour, but I guess not. I do plan on trying it again, just in case it was a fluke.

Today I am going to keep my menu clean. No Walden Farms, no chili (tomatoes make some people stall), and nothing creative. I already have a batch of cucumbers sitting in vinegar so they'll be ready for lunch, and then I will eat some shrimp. I am going to bake my apple, however :) And then for dinner I will have fajita style chicken on mixed greens. I also don't think I've been doing a great job getting all my water in, so I will focus on that today, too. Here's hoping week 3's loss is better than week 2 was!

Day 16: Weight 203.2. Whoo-hoo!! I am down 1.6 pounds from yesterday. I didn't eat dinner last night, but it wasn't intentional and I wasn't hungry at all. My daughter and I went to the mall, and I didn't even think about eating before I left. Everything at the mall is pure EVIL, so I didn't eat there. Since I wasn't hungry I figured I would just eat when I got home. I must admit, the food at the italian place looked good, but I definately didn't want to cheat on fast food. Olive Garden or Chili's, maybe :) By the time I got home I had forgotten I didn't eat dinner, lol, and went to bed.

Today my plan is to have my 4 eggs (but only 1 yolk) scrambled with some spinach. It would be much better with cheese, but I will be okay. Besides, another month or so and I can have cheese, sour cream, and the like!! I am going to have half a grapefruit at noon- I didn't used to like them, but now I LOVE them!! Probably all the sugar. I am going to have the fajita style chicken tonight, over some lettuce with salsa. Hopefully the scale will be my friend tomorrow as well!!

Day 17: Weight 201.6. OMG!! Another 1.6 pounds! I had to check three times to be certain. I really thought maybe I was dreaming! I am going to hit my goal of 199 this week!! This diet is actually the hardest thing I have ever done, but at the same time it is kind of easy. It is hard with 6 kids, not to lick the spoon when I cook for them. Mac N Cheese, peanut butter, etc. But I Haven't!!! The emotional hunger is the hard part. I find myself cleaning and reading ALOT lately. Never knew just how much time I spent in the kitchen, haha! Today I ate chili for lunch and a half a grapefruit. For dinner I ate tilapia and pickled cucumbers.

Day 18: Weight 201.0. Another half pound, yay!!! Also, my total weight lost is an even 16 pounds. I can hardly believe it. For lunch I tried a new recipe for chicken fried "rice". The rice is actually cabbage, cut up in rice size pieces. Then it is all stir-fried together with Bragg's amino acids (kinda like soy sauce, only healthy). It was pretty good. Definately NOT rice, but still a good dish. Next time I will probably leave the cabbage bigger like a traditional chinese dish. I ate an apple in between. For dinner I ate fajita style chicken with lots of salsa. It would be really good over a bed of lettuce, but I was out. It was super filling.

Day 19: Weight 200.8. Only .2 pounds, but I'll take it! I may see my goal of 199 sooner than I hoped! For lunch today I ate chili and half a grapefruit. The grapefruit is soooo good right now, very sweet. For dinner I am going to have the spinach scramble again. Maybe it will give me a big loss tomorrow!! Keep your fingers crossed for me!!! Today is the first day I have felt a little hunger. Not bad, but definately different than all the previous days. And at work they had a red-velvet cake from my favorite bakery for our meeting. It was driving me CRAZY! I had decided I would likely eat one bite. I left the conference room quickly. Still driving me crazy, a co-worker mentioned that it wasn't the most flavorful she had eaten, and suddenly I did not even want to try it! It is a miracle, but then I wasn't even the slightest bit tempted. Yay me!!

Day 20: Weight 199.4!!! For the first time in many, many years I am BELOW 200 pounds!! Whoo-hoo!! I have ben on cloud 9 all day long. For lunch I brought some ground lean meat, salsa and huge lettuce leaves to make some "Tacos". My colleague told me her husband has been eating low-carb tortillas and still losing. So I decided to try one for lunch. I put my lettuce, beef and salsa in it. Mmmmm...it was so satisfying and tasty. Now we will see what the scale says tomorrow. It will really suck if I am back in the 200's tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me! For dinner I have fajita chicken with lettuce, and more salsa. I am going to eat an apple somewhere in there, just not sure when.

Day 21: Weight 199.0. Yay! I'm down another .4. As long as it doesn't go up, I will be a happy camper :) And more importantly, I am past the halfway mark. I can't believe how long it's been. I'm still trying to decide if I want to do another round immediately or go ahead and take a three week break. I'm leaning towards just getting it done!!

Today for lunch I brought fajita chicken, lettuce and pickled cucumbers. I dropped my jar of salsa last night and it shattered all over my driveway. I was so mad! So no flavor for me today, lol!! I did bring some of the ranch dressing spritzer- another tip from a colleague- so will be trying that out today as well. I have no idea what to do for dinner, I think I am out of my pre-cooked meals. TGIF!!

Friday, January 8, 2010

AMAZING story!! A side effect I didn't expect!

About 5 years ago I began having horrible foot pain. It was every day, and worsened with any physical activity. I have tried so many different inserts, orthotics, special shoes, foot slings, etc. I had to beg one of my children to rub my heel for me several nights a week or I could not even walk. And first thing in the morning, when I got out of bed I could not walk without excruciating pain.

Well, about 4 days ago I got out of bed and noticed my foot didn't hurt at all. I thought that it was weird, but was okay with it. The next day, same thing. I squeezed around on my foot and there was absolutley NO PAIN!! I wasn't sure why, but thought I would enjoy it until it comes back.

Yesterday I was reading the original hCG Diet protocol by Dr. Simeons written in the 50's. I found this little "chapter" and found it most interesting.

"The Painful Heel
In obese patients who have been trying desperately to keep their weight down by severe dieting, a curious symptom sometimes occurs. They complain of an unbearable pain in their heels which they feel only while standing or walking. As soon as they take the weight off their heels the pain ceases. These cases are the bane of the rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons who have treated them before they come to us. All the usual investigations are entirely negative, and there is not the slightest response to anti- rheumatic medication or physiotherapy. The pain may be so severe that the patients are obliged to give up their occupation, and they are not infrequently labeled as a case of hysteria. When their heels are carefully examined one finds that the sole is softer than normal and that the heel bone - the calcaneus - can be distinctly felt, which is not the case in a normal foot.

We interpret the condition as a lack of the hard fatty pad on which the calcaneus rests and which protects both the bone and the skin of the sole from pressure. This fat is like a springy cushion which carries the weight of the body. Standing on a heel in which this fat is missing or reduced must obviously be very painful. In their efforts to keep their weight down these patients have consumed this normal structural fat.

Those patients who have a normal or subnormal weight while showing the typically obese fat deposits are made to eat to capacity, often much against their will, for one week. They gain weight rapidly but there is no improvement in the painful heels. They are then started on the routine HCG treatment. Overweight patients are treated immediately. In both cases the pain completely disappears in 10-20 days of dieting, usually around the 15th day of treatment, and so far no case has had a relapse though we have been able to follow up such patients for years.

We are particularly interested in these cases, as they furnish further proof of the contention that HCG + 500 Calories not only removes abnormal fat but actually permits normal fat to be replaced, in spite of the deficient food intake. It is certainly not so that the mere loss of weight reduces the pain, because it frequently disappears before the weight the patient had prior to the period of forced feeding is reached".


Had I read this before or even knew about it, I would feel my lack of pain was purely psychological. But I DIDN'T!!! And it was exactly on Day 10 that my pain dissipated. I am a believer!

You can read his entire original manuscript for FREE by cutting and pasting this link into your browser: http://www.hcgdietinfo.com/HCG_Diet_Dr_Simeons_Manuscript.htm

This site also has a really great forum filled with tons of information and friendly, helpful people.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Week 2 on hCG Diet...down 8.4 lbs. the first week :)

Wow! I can't believe it is already Saturday again, meaning 1 week through the diet. Last weekend I was loading, eating everthing I wanted. Oh, well. I've lost right on track with a pound a day...over 8 pounds in the first week! Woo-hoo! At this rate I will be at my first goal- which is to be below 200 pound mark- by next weekend!

Day 8: 1/2/2010 Weight 208.6. I'm down another half pound from yesterday. I can't wait until I'm in ONE-derland! I put 2 Tbs. of my suager free creamer in my coffee this morning. It is only 30 calories. Kind of an experiment to see if it stalls my weight loss. My dear husband is so impressed with me! First, he didn't think I was going to be able to do the injections, and that I have not cheated at all. His support makes a world of difference as well. He also says he thinks the diet is pretty healthy, since I am eating so many fresh fruits and vegetables, and that I still have energy. He feels if it wasn't working I would feel miserable. Speaking of energy- I've noticed I have A LOT more! I laid in bed a couple nights ago telling dh that I felt "weird", because I felt so normal. With the few calories I've been consuming I can't believe how normal I feel. And then yesterday and today I have tons of energy. I am going to go clean my room today- something I haven't felt like doing in a long time!!

Today I ate turkey and celery...I know turkey is not on the list, but that's what I had...and I simmered it in some chicken broth. We went to a movie, and when I walked in the smell of popcorn was a little overwhelming. I smelled the bucket, contemplating how much a few handfuls would set me back, and surprisingly it smelled HORRIBLE!! Kind of like stinky feet. It was propbably the type of oil/butter stuff they use. Whatever, it kept me from wanting to eat any! On our way home, the kids wanted to get Chinese takeout. I cringed. I was about to voice my protest, when my hubby said to go ahead and stop. He then said, "I won't get anything, since you can't. We'll just get some for the kids". I love him so much...he's always so thoughtful!! And even though I saw him sneak a few bites off the kids plates when he thought I wasn't looking, it was touching! So he sat down with me, and ate exactly what I ate. We had some lean ground beef, pickled cucmbers and baked apples. Totally legal food choices in a decadent environment!!

Day 9: 1/3/2010 Weight 208.6. Exactly the same as yesterday. I was bummed. But I am still having remarkable losses, so I will take this in stride. Today I made filet mignon again. No, I don't usually eat a lot of filet, but Harter House had a good deal so I bought 5. I also made cauliflower, steamed in microwave and put a little WF Alfredo. Somehow I managed to knock the entire dish on the floor. Luckily my filet was safely perched on it's own plate. So I cleaned up the cauliflower and went to get a towel. When I came back, my 18 year old son had my entire filet on a fork and was eating it!!! I was like, hey...what do you think you're doing??!! My entire family wants my food on this diet. Usually when I am on a diet I can't force it on them. It sure makes it easier to eat yummy food. Well I was so mad all I ate was the steak. I ate an apple a little later, and for dinner my wonderful husband decided to cook for me. I was worried. As I was cooking for the children, he was spicing up some tilapia filets. He was so cute, he would ask "can you have this?" and hold up various spices. It turned out so good! But the best part was he brought it to me, arranged on the plate with steamed broccoli artistically placed around it. This diet is turning us into gourmet chefs!! I hope it continues to be this easy.

Day 10: Weight 207.0!! Wow, I am down a total of 10 pounds now. Whoo Hoo! I can hardly believe it.

This was my first day back at work from the winter vacation. I packed the rest of my pickled cucumbers, an orange and some meatballs I had made and frozen. It was a decent meal and I got to eat with my coworkers and feel "normal". They had a welcome back breakfast, with pastrys, muffins, fruit, etc. I went back and took an oatmeal chocolate chip muffin (again to fit in, lol), but wrapped it up to take to my daughters. I also took quite a few orange segments and saved them to eat with my lunch. For dinner I made some buffalo chicken chunks and broiled a zuchinni. I was going to eat my strawberries, but was so full I decided to eat them later. Then I ended up forgetting about them.

Day 11: Weight 206.6. At least I'm down. I will take any movement of the scale in a downward direction :).

I made a foil pack last night with asparagus and a tilapia filet. I seasoned it (with dear hubby's help) and brought it to work today. I'm going to pop it in our toaster oven and hope for the best!! It turned out really yummy, although it took forever to cook and everybody was complaining about the burning smell from the toaster oven. I think it needs cleaned...

Tonight we had a Girl Scout cookie rally. I'm a troop leader, and we are going to have over 3,000 boxes of cookies in my living room next month. I'm not quite sure how I am going to cope with that. If it's like I have been feeling, it won't be too much of a problem for me. Like after the meeting, I stopped and got my daughters some McDonalds. At first the smell was so good. I said "Give me a couple fries" and put my hand back. She was taking forever (luckily) and visions of the grease vats they were fried in just popped into my head. I've never had that happen, and I wasn't even trying to resist them. But I suddenly did not want them, and did not eat a single one!! I am totally SHOCKED myself. I went home and cooked up my buffalo chicken chunks, and sliced up a cucumber. I ate it with a couple tablespoons of WF Ranch dressing. It is runny, but tastes okay. I again wasn't hungry so I skipped my second fruit.

Day 12: Weight 205.6. Another pound!! It is AMAZING watching the scale go down every single day. I just can't describe the feeling!! And I am also amazed at how much energy I have. With the little bit I've been eating it just does not seem possible. But I will sure take it! I haven't felt this great in years.

For lunch today I brought some buffalo chicken chunks (yeah, I'm addicted)and some cauliflower. I plan on eating my orange right at noon, it looks really good today! Well, I was completely FULL after my lunch, I did not eat my orange. I felt like I had over-eaten at a buffet and had only eaten 1/3rd of my chicken. I forced myself to eat it anyway, and felt ill for it. Then I started getting a headache. I was gettng worried about it, especially when advil wasn't helping much. On my way home from work it dawned on me- I didn't have my coffee this morning! That's why I have a headache. So I drank a couple cups of coffee and the headache was gone! Wow, I guess I'm addicted to caffeine and didn't realize it. For dinner I tried some "miracle noodles" with my shrimp. I stir-fried them in a tiny bit of coconut oil (it's supposed to be okay on this diet, guess I'l find out tomorrow). They had a tough, kinda chewy texture to them. I wasn't too impressed, but they are full of fiber so I went ahead and ate them. I will try them again in some homemade chicken soup to see if they have a different texture. Again I felt so full, but managed to eat an apple as a bedtime snack. It was then that I realized I forgot to eat a vegetable with my dinner. Oooops!

Day 13: Weight 204.8. Almost a pound! I'll take it. I drank three cups of coffee this morning! It's a snow day, and being at home, kinda bored makes me want to eat. But my results so far are keeping me from raiding the kitchen. DH brought home some dougnuts for the kiddos, and I had to stay out of the kitchen. They looked soooo good. I used to be addicted to doughnuts. But I resisted and conquered the fat laden, sugar filled demons! Victory is mine!

Last night I made a pot of (legal) chili. I put in 2 cans of diced tomatoes with chilis, 1 tiny can of tomato paste and half a packet of chili seasoning. I couldn't believe the ingredients in most of the seasoning packets! Most of them have MSG, flour, and several have sugar. I found one at Dillon's that only has chili pepper, spices, salt and garlic. It is called Amazing Taste, and was only 99 cents. I also put more garlic- can't have too much- water to desired consistency and 300 grams of 96/4 browned ground beef. I planned to put diced onions but guess who forgot to buy onions?? I boiled it and then let it simmer for a long time. I sampled it and it was yummy! Too bad I can't put cheese and sour cream on it- not until phase 3 anyway!! So I divided it into 3 servings and put in fridge. Guess what I'm having for lunch?! I also bought some Melba toast since it is allowed on Dr. Simeon's original protocol and plan to have that with it. I can't wait. I'm going to eat half a grapefruit at noon. Okay...so the chili was AWESOME!! I didn't even miss the beans! For dinner I ate the last of my buffalo chicken chunks. I shredded my cauliflower and sauteed it in a teeny bit of chicken broth. It looked like rice. It actually kind of felt like I was eating rice. Very satisfying!! For dessert I put my strawberries (frozen) in the blender with 1 cup of water and 3 packets of splenda. It will be better with vanilla stevia, but I haven't got any yet. I put it in the freezer and keep stirring it every 15 minutes or so. Right now it looks like a slushie, and it tastes pretty decent. And because of the water it looks like a lot. When I get my stevia I have a mock ice cream recipe to try!!

Day 14: Weight 204.2. Another 1/2 pound!! Yea! I wonder if I hadn't of eaten that Melba toast I might have lost a full pound? Oh well, the world may never know :) I am totally fine with 1/2 pound losses. Especially since I am still averaging 1 pound per day.

For lunch I ate another serving of chili. It is so filling. I was too full to eat my apple until just now. For dinner I am having Filet Mignon and cauliflower. I steamed the cauli and then put it in the blender with garlic salt and a little salt. It looks and feels exactly like mashed potatoes! I tried a bite before putting in the fridge, and the likeness is amazing. Now, don't get me wrong, it still has a cauliflowery taste, but I bet if you seasoned it just right it would be a good substitute if you were craving them. I plan to put some I can't believe it's not butter spray and a little ranch dressing (WF of course)to make it creamier. I won't get to eat my second fruit since I ate the apple so late.

I also tried something completely off protocol. I mixed together a TBSP of coconut oil, a TBSP of cocoa powder and a packet of splenda. I put it in waxed paper in the fridge and let it get solid. It had a little grainy texture, but I think it was the splenda. I will make it with stevia when I get some. But the reason I tried this is not because I was craving chocolate, but because a lot of people on the forum said it actually helps weight loss. I guess we'll find out tomorrow! It also is supposed to help prevent gallbladder problems in people who have pre-existing problems, which I do.