HCG P2VLCD 16 ~ Week 2 Done and onto Week 3!

That week went fast and yet oh so slow!

I spent the whole week wondering what was causing my weight stall and then 1.6 lb gain. Such a frustrating feeling to see the scale go up when you're doing so much work towards the total opposite! Steak day didn't help...Apple day didn't cut it either...I was at a total loss. Then it dawned on me! BAM!!! Yes! Just Like That! I bet it's TOM! 

What's TOM? Yes, it's another acronym. This program is seriously full of them! This one happens to stand for Time Of the Month. So There you have it! You're now in the know! And heaven help you when you're stuck with a week like mine. 

I think it would have been a bit better if I had actually realized what was going on. I've seen it before with my last round. Because I did a long session I was able to see 2 TOM's with it. And my body acted just the same way. Stalled for a couple days before it started then a gain of 2 lbs and then a few days later dropped the 2 lbs and started freeing more weight like normal. PHEW!

So basically Week 2 was a total loss of 2 lbs. But that's ok! I measured my waist and legs... 

I've lost 1 inch from my waist and each leg! Seriously!!! Isn't that awesome?! 

While I was busy freaking out about the scale staling and then moving the wrong direction my body was still changing in a positive direction. Remember when I said the diet was called Pounds and Inches? Well, I experienced the "Inches" part while the "Pounds" were not cooperating. That's a Yay for me!

I have to admit I had cravings like nobody's business. OMG (that's Oh My Gawd!)!!! I sooo needed chocolate! Chocolate! CHOCOLATE! And that wasn't it! But I settled for Chocolate. Everyone talks about Chocolate Delight so I finally broke down and made some! Yummy! I'm so glad I did! It was perfect for the chocolate cravings and since it has coconut oil as the base that in some weird way doesn't count. Wonder why that is... Some say it's because of how our bodies process coconut oil is different than how it processes dairy or animal fats. I suppose with more research I can find the answer. But until then, I'm thrilled that it works like a charm for serious cravings!

How do you make Chocolate Delight? Here's the way I made mine:

1c Coconut Oil (melted)

3/4 to 1c Cocoa Powder Unsweetened

Stevia to taste I used 10 packets

Add cocoa powder to melted oil and then add stevia. I also added a touch of vanilla. I'd say it was about 1/2 tsp.
After it's mixed well pour it onto a parchment paper lined pan and put in the freezer. You could even pour it into the mini cupcake cups for individual servings.
Put it in the freezer and do something to keep you occupied for about 45 min! Once it's frozen take it out, break off a piece and enjoy!

I bet you can add some flavored stevia drops to make it taste even yummier! 

Fingers crossed for a Great Week 3!!!

See you in a few days!

Sabrina

HCG P2VLCD 7 ~ Week 1 Done!

When I last left you I was working on my last day of loading and going into the VLCD Phase 2 part of the HCG program.

Well since then I'm on R2-P2-VLCD7. I've released 4.2lbs (or 6.6lbs depending on how you want to count it all. Stats are at the bottom). My waist has gone down 1/2 inch already! And that's only with a 4lb change! Crazy!!!

When you look at what the diet is called, Pounds and Inches, it truly does what it says. You not only loose pounds but also inches. Those inches are noticeable inches at that and it's visible right away to boot! It's just amazing! I can't begin to tell you with words the feeling you get when you look in the mirror every morning and see results. If you don't see it on the scale you still see it in that mirror.

I suppose we should talk results for a bit. When you jump on the scale and only see a change of .2 or .4 after all the effort you're making it kinda hits you where it hurts. Am I right? But remember, it's not called Pounds and Inches for nothing. That title is very significant! While the scale says your effort only afforded you a slight shift on the scale or no shift at all your body still changed. Your body is still moving the abnormal fat stores out of your system. This is the inches part of it.

If it helps measure yourself every week. I measure only one thing weekly, mainly my waist or legs. I will do a full measure about every 2 weeks. That way I can chart the results and see the measurable difference in my body for the work I've done. If you want to see the results more often measure once a week, but not every day. You'll only frustrate yourself when you have a day where you're bloated and the measurements go up. Pick a regular time and day of the week and stick to that. I measure after I weigh usually on a Sunday because that's what works for me and I can't wait to see my effort pay off!

How about when the scale goes up? Same thing but only worse in some aspects. I'm not going to tell you to not take it seriously when the scale goes up. You should, but not in the aspect of you now have to starve yourself for the next day or two. No. I'm going to say don't fret the small stuff. Figure out what you ate or drank the previous day. Was there a salty dish? Did you eat broccoli? (Yes I said broccoli. We'll get into that one later.) Once you figure out what it possibly was make that day a Steak day!

You really won't believe how beneficial steak really is on this diet. I've always been amazed at how when I've stuffed myself on steak my scale drops by .5 or more! It doesn't seem like it would but it really does. I usually have a big steak and a tomato for dinner and the next morning I'll see results. Why isn't fish or chicken the same? I have no clue but they don't work the same for me. Maybe they will for you. If so let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Ok, remember the little comment on Broccoli a few paragraphs above? Weird thing about broccoli and cauliflower...this happens when I eat it, every time, without fail...I don't free any weight. Nothing. I have no clue why but each and every time I eat those two the scale doesn't move. Not just for the next day but a couple days. I didn't realize this was what was causing it until I did some reading on the subject. But if you read on it you'll discover that they're one of those foods that you should eat very little of. Limit your serving to a couple pieces. If you're an experimenter and want to see what happens for you and your body please share your results with me. Maybe it's only certain people who experience the stall with that vegetable. However, my daughter and I have both experienced this weird phenomenon.

Here are my first week stats:

*side note* I always weigh myself in the morning.
                   Gorge phase is also known as P1
R2Gorge Day 1 Starting weight 161.4
R2P1D2 ~ +1.4lbs
VLCD1 ~ +.9lb (remember this is the result of my gorge day the day before)
VLCD2 ~ -1lb
VLCD3 ~ -2.2lbs
VLCD4 ~ -1.5lbs
VLCD5 ~ -.6lb
VLCD6 ~ +.2lb (salty food the day before)
VLCD7 ~ -1.5lbs

So, while I have actually free'd 6.6lbs total since I started P2 of this diet I've really changed my weight from gorge day 1 to vlcd7 by 4.2lbs. But in all reality I have free'd 6.6lbs in the first week! I personally only count the 4.2 so I don't feel the gain. ;) Know what I'm saying? ;)

More acronyms:
P1 - phase 1 also known as the gorge phase
P2 - phase 2 the low calorie phase
P3 - phase 3 the maintenance phase
P4 - The Rest of Your Life

I thought I'd clarify the difference between P3 and P4. They are definitely different phases but both are meant to maintain your weight.
P2 is called the maintenance phase but what really happens in this phase is keeping the weight you have plus or minus 2 lbs while only eating 1000-1500 calories. This is a VERY important part of the HCG program. Without this phase you'll quickly gain back all that weight if you don't adhere strictly to the instructions for this phase. In a nutshell you're spending the next 3-6 weeks training your body to eat and stay the same weight. You're going to still limit sugars and starches. But you're going to up your protein intake to include things like nuts, different meats etc. Make sense?

For P4 you're going to slowly add things in the starches and sugars category. You're still going to watch your weight to make sure you're not going above that 2lb mark. It's very important that you keep to this! While you may think a pound doesn't make a difference, you're wrong. On the scale it doesn't but on your body it does! Remember the difference between what a lb of fat looks like size wise compared to a lb of muscle?
Here's a couple of photos to remind you:

 1lb of fat

 5lb and 1lb of fat

5, 10, 15 and 20lbs of fat. 

Remember when you look at these that you remember the size reference of the 1lb in the first photo then of the 1lb next to the 5lb. That will help you in visualizing what you've free'd from your body.

See that last one? The 20lb one? I've free'd almost 2 of those from my body already following the HCG Protocol!

I'm not going to lie to you. The last couple days I've been craving Chocolate anything like a crazy fool! I've had to resort to drinking lots of water and using my favorite fall back ~ "Ice cream!" It's not the real deal but it works when you're really wanting something you need to avoid. 

Here's my recipe:

1c crushed ice

2 tbs 1/2 & 1/2

Walden Farms Chocolate Sauce to taste

Water if needed.

Blend ( I use my magic bullet for the chocolate slushy "ice cream")

Now here's the cool part:

If you're a fruit lover you can do frozen fruit. Put those strawberries in the processor and blend until they look like powder then add:

Stevia

Water

1/2&1/2

Blend until thick and creamy! Yummy!!! 

You can also cut it with crushed ice to make more because you'll still feel like you're eating ice cream and the fruit will still taste good. I'll even add a touch of vanilla or cinnamon! 

This really helps when you're craving sweets and nothing is working. 

Look at WaldenFarms.com for all kinds of Sugar and Calorie Free treats, salad dressings and condiments. They really help me feel like I'm getting what I'm craving without the guilt. My salads are awesome with salad dressing! Guilt Free Salad Dressing!!! Yay!!!

Now on to week 2!

HCG R2D2 Still Loading

R2D2
Looks weird doesn't it? It's not a Star Wars thing. It actually stands for Round 2 Day 2.

Tomorrow will be even crazier! It will be the beginning of my very low calorie portion of this round. So the acronym will look like this~ R2VLCD1 ~meaning Round 1 Very Low Calorie Day 1. There are a gazillion more acronym's that go with this program and I'm still learning them. As I do I'll share them with you.

What is loading you ask? Well, for HCG you do 2 days of high calories/fats to saturate your system and help you in the transition from the high calorie/fats diet you usually eat to the very restricted 500 calorie low fat diet you're going to be living with for the next couple months.

Some people do what is called clean loading. Most of those people are prior HCGer's and have done a couple rounds before and have used the maintenance phase to adapt their eating lifestyle to a low or no wheat, sugar, carbs and fat diet. (Diet~ remind me to find a different more positive word to use in place of that 4 letter word.) When they load they do more of a high nuts and fiber loading than a loading phase that has all the Oh So Yummy but Oh So Bad for you things like Cupcakes with lots of delicious frosting. Bet you can't guess where my taste buds are leading me today.

Anyway, as far as how my first day of loading went, I'd say it went deliciously! I actually ate a sub sandwich! Yes you heard me right! I ate BREAD!!! OMG! Yes, it was delicious! But oh how my tummy hurt. Oh and there were cookies!!! Oatmeal Chocolate Chip! Yummy! Oh how my tummy hates me today. But settle down tummy...The second day of loading has arrived and there are still cookies left in that jar AND pizza pockets in the oven!

I don't know if I'm doing my psyche more harm by eating all these yummy treats or if my tummy is taking the beating for naught. We'll see...

Did I gain any weight with the loading phase? Yes, I've gained a pound. But the cool thing is, is that the single pound I added will be gone in a matter hours when I start the VLCD phase tomorrow.

Right now those pizza bites are done and I need to run my youngest to the mall to meet his girlfriend for a double date at the movies!

My HCG Journey Round 2

Have you ever had one of those days where you swear you put it "here" but for some weird reason it's not? Well, that's kinda what today is. Kinda...

I started posting about my HCG journey and saved the blog post because I had more to add to it later when I had more time. Well, where that blog entry went when I saved it is beyond me. So I'll just start a new post. It's probably a good thing anyway as today marks the first Loading day of my second round of HCG. I'm excited and ready to see the fat melt away!

No, it's not an exaggeration! The fat literally melts off you while you're taking the HCG injections/drops. It's amazing! No, it's not an easy road but it really does pay off dramatically if you stick to it.

Here, take a look at the results from my first round:

Sure you can't see the rest of me but believe me it's there! So that's me at 190+ pounds and my daughter at approximately the same weight. We started our HCG Round 1 Journey on June 17th this year. Within the first week I dropped 7.5 lbs and she dropped roughly the same. After that the weight seemed to slowly drop for me. A half pound here a full pound there. By the end I had released a total of 28.6 lbs. Today I weighed in at 161.4 lbs. I've maintained my weight for the summer and am ready to start on my next round. 

Here's the best photo I could find that shows you the difference in my face:

Quite a difference isn't it! :) Yay Me!!!

So along with the changing number on the scale was the visible difference in the size of my clothes! I went from a size 14 (tight fit!) to a size 8! Seriously!!! I went down 7.5 inches on my waist alone! AMAZING!!!

And before you ask why my boobs are still big...the answer is simple...They're augmented. They're always going to be that size. :) Thank heavens! I paid good money for those! I want to keep them!

So you're wondering what made me decide to do HCG? Well, I had done one round a couple years ago and dropped weight like it was going out of style. This was before they pulled the plug on having the hormones in the sublingual drops so I had the real deal for that round. After that I did a subsequent round and failed miserably.

Why? Why? Oh Why?!!! That's exactly what I was crying! The reason is because they opted for a homeopathic replacement for the hormone that the FDA agreed on. This new drop formulation didn't work. I was hungry, cranky, depressed and not loosing the weight I so desperately wanted to loose. So I opted for putting on my big girl pants and moved on and lived my life as I was.

Not so good when your pants are tight and you're starting to fit into those old pants you held onto after you lost that weight in the first place. Nope nope nope! So I did some research and reading and decided if the only way to get the real HCG again was to order the injections or sublingual drops that cost an arm and a leg I was going to bite the bullet. If I don't invest in my health I wouldn't have a good future. Besides being and eating the way I was was hurting me. It was reverting my gastro issues back to those of my past when I was diagnosed with Crohn's and then later had my gallbladder removed. Not a good situation for me or my family. So I ordered the injectable HCG and roped my daughter into joining me!

I have to say that at first it was a slight struggle to get over the thought of sticking a needle in myself daily. But it is such a tiny needle and I honestly don't feel it. It was easier and easier every morning when I got up and the first thing I did was give myself my daily dose and grabbed my cup of coffee. It just became routine.

Side affects? Nope. None. Unless you count lack of hunger. After the first few days the cravings subsided. I no longer craved sugar the way I had before. Sure I needed sweets, but I switched my sweet fix to a sweet fruit fix using Stevia as my sugar! I learned how to make ice cream out of frozen fruit, stevia and water. Yummy! I also found sugar and calorie free chocolate sauce to make smoothies, milkshakes and ice cream with. I also figured out how much more sugar content and caloric content that milk had versus half and half. Wow! Add a couple tablespoons to your ice, chocolate sauce and water in a blender and BAM! Yummy chocolate shake! Anyway! Waaaayyy off subject! I didn't crave because I found substitutes for my regular treats so I didn't feel deprived. I knew I could have something if I need it. And when I ate I was satisfied and full.

This time I've stayed away from wheat products for the sake of my gastro issues, so loading is going to be interesting. I'll let you know how the first couple days go!

Here are a couple photos I just had my daughter take of me. No makeup though so don't freak out!

Round 2 Here We Come!!! :) Yay!!!

Sunny Or Money Goes on a Budget!

Those of you who know me know why Sunny or Money fits. For those of you who don't, here's the story...

I'm one of those girls... The one's who shop 'til they drop. I also am one of those girls who can't stand the rain. Guess what? Where I live it rains and rains and rains. So it's no guess as to why I shop. It's like a replacement for my much needed sun and vitamin exchange. Vitamin D or Dollars...Well, dollars spent would be more to the point there. So my dad took to calling me Sunny or Money and my husband liked it so it stuck!

Right now it's not Money since the purchase of our new home and having 2 mortgages we're on a budget. Yes, that means less vitamin D/$. My husband's pretty good at saying no lately. It kinda sucks but I'm seeing it as an experiment. Yes, that's what I tell myself. We've never had to budget or if we tried we never stuck to it. So this time it's the real deal until we get this 2 mortgage thing to feel natural so we can purchase a third property.

We're working on our retirement plan. Buy properties, fix them up and rent them. When we retire we will sell off a piece here and there to fund our traveling adventures or to put away so we can use the interest or even to leave behind something for our children. Did I mention we have 4? Yep, lots! We want to make sure they all are taken care of when we're gone. Grand children and all. And no, we aren't slum lords. Our rental is a very nice 2 story home in a great neighborhood down by the beach. Want to rent it?

So how do I plan on being able to shop on our super tight budget? I'm working on that.

I have joined a cool site called Buzz Agent. It allows me to shop for free, sample the product(s) and rate them while earning points on another site that allow me to shop with said points. So there's one. Up to date I've done 3 campaigns and sampled Cafe Escapes for Keurig, Glade Expressions, and soon I'll be sampling Garnier Olia Hair Color!

      Cafe Escapes is Delicious to say the least! It's easy to use and when I need a sweet treat or a quiet moment to myself I just pop one in my Keurig and away I go! I definitely would recommend this delicious drink to my family, friends and you! My favorite is the Caramel Cafe.... Yumm!  PS~ The kids loved them too!

      Now for the Glade Expressions~ The scents are nice. I used the infuser in my daughters room and she loves it. I like the scent when I walk into her room. Fresh! The Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist is handy to have around for a quick freshen up after cooking or when the kids dump their stinky laundry in the laundry room. Love the Cotton & Italian Mandarin scent!

I've discovered that my iphone isn't only for texting and calling. I can actually get coupons for my local Safeway via the Safeway App and use those when I shop without having to dumpster dive for coupons. But I might think about taking that up too...Except for the fact that our state is a non-extreme couponing state. Bummer huh. But there's a good point here! When I shop at Safeway and use my Safeway Card I earn points towards fuel discounts when I fill-up at their pumps. Which happen to be the least expensive pumps in town. So last time I filled up the audi with premium plus I only paid just a tad over $3.00 a gallon! No Joke! Our fuel here is the highest in the state and ranks highest in the country so that's pretty darn good. I saved 80 cents a gallon and all I did was shop. Yep! One of my favorite things!

So now the trick is going to be to actually stick to the monthly allotment for clothes, hair, foods, etc. I was thinking if I didn't spend all of the budget in one area that I could put that in savings and use in another area as needed.

For example when the boys go skiing on Saturdays we usually give them 40.00/ea for food and hot waxing. But if they are good and bring home the change (I know it's a stretch) we can roll that over for the next weekend and put the difference in the pot for something like new bindings for next season etc.

And what about the hair budget I've been given. I get my hair done every 2-3 months to keep up on highlights and trim. So if I don't use my budget for the month I have that left to put in the bank for extra clothes for the changing season. With 4 kids, myself and my husband that would definitely help. But also if I wanted to splurge and buy a new something for the house...I've got that sitting in the bank.

Can you tell I'm telling myself how awesome this Budget thing can be?! I am! And I'm kind of excited about it. I love that I can splurge if I need to but at the same time I am still staying in the budget and learning how to be thrifty. Any hints, tips or tricks of the trade are welcome!

I'll keep you updated on my Budget Adventure!
Sabrina