P2 Rogue "Shepherds Pie" Recipe

Oh Man!!! This was a comfort food night!!!

P2 Rogue Shepherds Pie

Meat portion:
12 oz Leanest ground beef you can find (4 - 4oz servings)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce (or substitution)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or substitution)
1/2 cup beef broth (low sodium)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium zucchini grated

Topping:
1 large head cauliflower (approximately 6-8 inches across)
chives if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425f.

Rice Cauliflower then whirl to fluffy mashed potato consistency. Microwave for 8 minutes let sit while you're cooking the meat.

Brown burger, rinse and drain. Add Seasonings and broth, stir. Add zucchini and cook until tender. Turn off heat and let sit while you season the mashed cauliflower topping.

In a 9X13 glass baking pan place the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. Top evenly with mashed cauliflower.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until boiling and starting to brown.

Serves 4
217 calories per serving

Let me tell you!!! This was so YUMMY!!! I honestly couldn't eat more than half a serving. It really is filling!!! Perfect for those cold rainy days. When you hit P3 and 4 you can add cheese!

Enjoy!!!
Sabrina

HCG P2 Portobello Mushrooms with Ground Turkey and Spinach Stffing

Dinner tonight!!! 

OMG!!! So Devine!!!
Sure wish I had taken a photo of them finished!

Today was a busy day!!! Thank heavens for quick inspiration at the local Trader Joe's!
I found these gorgeous Portobello mushrooms in the vegetable section waaaay up on the top shelf! I had to get help from my son to reach them.

I love how fast this is to whip up! took me 15 minutes to cook up the meat and another 20 to bake!

Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic Spinach Lean Turkey Stuffing!

Ingredients:
3-4 Portobello Mushroom Caps
1/2 lb leanest ground turkey you can find (this is 2 4oz servings)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower riced
6 cloves garlic minced
2 table spoons tomato paste
1/4 onion chopped
1/4 cup water
Italian seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Remove stems from mushroom caps and wipe the caps clean. Don't wash them to avoid them becoming soggy. ;) Pat dry.

This step you can do or not do it's up to you.
Broil the mushroom for 5 minutes on each side. This helps to release excess water and to cook them a bit.
I personally don't always do that unless it's a stuffing I don't need to cook through etc.
This time I just precooked the stuffing then baked extra long because I was being lazy. ;)

In a small frying pan cook minced garlic and onions until slightly browned/translucent. If you need oil use a small amount of coconut oil or water.

Add ground turkey and seasonings cook until done. Add tomato paste and water cook for another 5 or so minutes.

Toss in chopped spinach and cauliflower rice, mix well. Let cook for 1 more minute then set aside.

On a lined cookie sheet place your mushrooms with space between. Stuff (or top) with meat mixture. Since I didn't have cheese in this mix I pressed the meat mixture a little but not to mash it into the mushroom, more to make sure it doesn't crumble and fall off when I move the pan.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then broil for 5-8 minutes until browned.

Total recipe is 402 calories for 3-4 mushrooms stuffed. If you've got 3 mushrooms stuffed they're 131 calories each. If you got 4 stuffed they're 100.5 calories each!

Enjoy!!!
Sabrina

P2 Rogue Recipe Greek Chicken with Cauliflower Rice and Greek Salad

I made some Witch Hats, Bats and Pumpkins!!!

I worked late last night on a tutorial for an online glass workers magazine and ended up working even later making beads! AND I just love halloween beads! 

I am known for my Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Focals and so I generally fill my late summer and early fall making those. But decided that it was time to break out the traditional Witchery for Halloween! 

So maybe my late night might be the reason for my lack of hunger today... I don't know but it sounds good. ;) 

I hadn't eaten until dinner with the exception of my tea. I keep my tea hot and full on rainy days like this. That might be part of the reason I'm not hungry. I did eat a couple slices of dried apples just because I thought I should eat something... But that's it. 

It's a daily chore! I have to make dinner not just for myself but for my husband and my boys. Even if I'm not hungry. But when I started cooking this! Oy vey! I found myself Hungry Hungry!!! The scents! The texture!!! What a great dinner! I'm glad I did get off my lazy tea drinking rear and made dinner tonight!!! 

This meal is almost Greek... I say almost because I have not included Kalamata Olives or Feta Cheese or even Olive oil. But the seasonings make up for that in a big way!!!

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!!!

Greek Chicken and Cauliflower Rice with Greek Salad/Salsa
Ingredients:

Chicken Ingredients ~
2 Chicken Breasts trimmed and sliced into lengthwise strips
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon greek seasonings
Ground pepper to taste
1/4 Onion sliced thinly

Cauliflower Rice ~
1 head of cauliflower ran through your food processor to rice consistency

Greek Salad/Salsa ~
1 Cucumber chopped into cubes
2 Tomatoes chopped into cubes
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon greek seasonings
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Cook chicken breast over medium low heat with all seasonings, lemon juice and onion until done. Remember to cover with a lid. You'll want the sauce to top your meat and "rice" with.
If you don't have greek seasonings you can improvise with italian seasonings and add rosemary, dill, cinnamon, nutmeg, marjoram, and garlic. Just season until it smells yummy to your nose. I add a little bit of the cinnamon and nutmeg...not a lot as they are very strong in small amounts.

While that's cooking rice your cauliflower and pop in the microwave until finished.

Then chop up your cucumber and tomatoes put in a bowl. Then add seasonings and mix.

When everything is done place meat over rice with a bit of sauce. You can either top it with your greek salad/salsa or put it on the plate as a side dish.
Makes 4 servings @ 178 calories each.

This was Delish!!! If you're in P3 or P4 add feta cheese and the kalamata olives!!! It makes this dish even better!!!

Happy Sunday!!!

Sabrina

The Rogue HCG Diet Support Group on Facebook!

Rainy, Lazy Day Lunch HCG P2 Rogue Recipe Zucchini Egg Skillet with Ground Turkey

Lunch is Served!!!

It's a Rainy day out and I need to get moving!!! It's after 12 pm and I haven't gone out to the shop to make beads yet because I was stuck in the world of Pinterest looking for dinner idea's. Oh how I love Pinterest!!!

Needless to say I started to get hungry and thought I should get my butt in gear and eat before I get so hungry that I eat those dang Oreo's that my husband is currently eating...and he's sitting next to me... AND They're Peanut butter!!! Ack!!!

Seriously! Ok, so now you see my dilemma... cook and eat healthy or dive bomb into those nasty cookies. I choose healthy. Even if I'd like to be naughty! I still choose healthy!

To gain the sense of rightness physically ~ to eat healthy and actually feel satisfied ~ I hit the refrigerator and stove!

Breakfast for Lunch on a Sluggish Day!!!
Looks so very naughty!
This recipe makes 2 servings at 186 calories each!

Quick Zucchini Egg Skillet with Ground Turkey

Ingredients:
4oz Leanest ground turkey
Poultry seasoning to taste (is similar to sausage seasonings)
Garlic to taste
1/4 small onion sliced thin
1 cup zucchini cubed
1 tbs tomato paste (no sugar added etc)
1/4 c water
2 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat up a pan with a little dab of coconut oil (medium heat).
Add meat and onions stir then add seasonings.
Cook until done, then stir in zucchini. Add tomato paste and water, stir. Cover pot for 4 or 5 minutes. Then open pot and make two small wells/dents and crack your eggs into each well. Cover and let cook for another couple minutes until whites are done but yoke is still wiggly. Cook longer if you don't like liquid egg yokes.
Serve Hot!

If you are looking for a Facebook group for Support Join my group!
The Rogue HCG Support Group!
I'd love to see you there!!!

Ok, now I need to head out to make beads! Someone kick me in the butt now!!! ;)
Happy Saturday!
Sabrina

HCG Rogue! Recipe ~ HCG Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers

Well, it's come down to my going Rogue!!!
I'm not so good at being POP (that's Perfect on Protocol). The original protocol is very basic and frankly boring for my mind body and soul.

Food is supposed to be enjoyed EVEN if you're dieting!!! If you don't enjoy your food you will want to stray and find something else to eat that is not on your diet.

Yep! Even something as innocent as a lonely little chocolate bar or bag of chips that are there on the counter and nobody is looking or home so they won't know...

I've been there and done that! Heck I still do it. BUT I've figured out what I can and cannot do while I'm on HCG. I can have chocolate when it's in the form of ChocoDelight. I can have Chocolate Mock Cake and Oh Man Do I LOVE it!!! I can have crunchy chips...in the form of freeze dried foods, baked kale chips etc. Healthy decisions that are not POP but actually hit the spot and don't affect how my body looses weight while I'm on HCG. Not to mention allowing for me to take those foods with me beyond my HCG journey. It's how I maintain when I'm in P4.
......Unless it's Christmas...or my Birthday. Then I have some serious making up to do. I'm only human after all.

We all struggle. We all loose and then a few months, a year (me) or a couple years, those pounds tend to all of a sudden suck themselves right back on to your Ass! Or Gut! Or BOTH!!! Oh! Don't get me started on my Chicken Tenders!!! (Those are the flaps that hang over your bra in the back. So not my favorite!)

So, satisfaction and the desire to enjoy my life while on the HCG journey is what has forced me to go Rogue! I need to feel satisfied when I eat. My taste buds, my emotions, my physical being, all need to be satisfied. Since I'm a food junkie I might as well tend to that junkie in me while nurturing my body correctly to see the results I want to see.

Just incase you were wondering what the term Rogue means where the HCG diet is concerned it means that I'm eating outside of protocol. I'm allowing myself to eat foods that are not allowed in the original Dr. Simeons HCG Diet Protocol, Pounds and Inches.

Don't get me wrong. The original protocol does work that's how I got down into Onderland! (that's the 100's) But as I continue to move towards my ultimate weight goal I need to augment my foods to fit my world and to satisfy the food junkie that I am. I need to eat and I need to love what I'm eating!

Which brings me to my next subject... Support Groups for HCG users. No, not addicts! We're talking support for those on the HCG protocol diet. I've been a member of a couple HCG Support groups on Facebook. One of them is severely against anything that is not protocol. Which is fine. But not for me...and as I've noticed several other members in that group are having difficulties and doing Rogue eating. That group frowns on it. So in an effort to help and guide as well as to have that community that I need for my journey I've started a Facebook group for Rogues like me. It's called The Rogue HCG Support Group. You can search it up or click here to join.

Speaking of Rogue Foods!
Today's recipe is Super Duper Yummy!!!

HCG P2 Rogue Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers


Ingredients:
6-8 large bell peppers (I used red and yellow)
1.5 lbs leanest ground beef you can find
1/4 onion
5 cloves garlic
1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes (make sure it's the kind without sugar)
1-2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (to taste really) I use one only because it has sugar.
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 small zucchini
1 cup shredded broccoli
2 egg whites

First clean and prep your peppers by removing the tops and cleaning out the insides. You want a pepper cup basically, so just remove the very tops of your peppers.  Set aside.

Cook ground beef in frying pan with salt and pepper. Drain and rinse to remove as much fat as you can. Sounds gross but it really isn't it's just extra work but worth it in the end.

In food processor mix cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion and worcestershire sauce. After blended add burger. Blend then add more salt and pepper if wanted. When finished mixing set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Shred zucchini in the food processor. Drain excess water. (I squish mine in the strainer so I can squeeze as much water out as possible. It will continue to weep as you go so don't freak.)

In large mixing bowl that contains the meat add your shredded zucchini and broccoli. Mix. Then add the 2 egg whites and fire roasted tomatoes (drained) Mix well! The eggs are the binding because we've already cooked our meat and removed the fats.

Make sure your crockpot is open and ready! One by one stuff the peppers. Really pack them full of the meat and veggie mix. I use a large spoon to pack the mixture in. You might see lots of juice while you're squishing the mix down. Go ahead and squeeze as much of that out as possible. (I do it over the sink and not into the bowl to avoid having to squeeze more and more as I go.) Once your pepper is full put in the crockpot and repeat with remaining peppers.

Put your crockpot on low for 3-4 hours. We're only trying to heat them through and cook the veggies inside because we've already cooked the meat. If you do this with raw meat you'll want to cook for 6 or more hours to make sure the meat is cooked through.

My crockpot is full at 7 peppers so calories per serving are 200/ea pepper!
If you do a 2 lb meat recipe your servings will be approximately 246 calories (this is the 7 pepper comparison).
A 1 lb meat recipe will yield a 155 calorie serving (again based on my 7 peppers).

Have fun cooking... But mostly Enjoy Eating Healthy!!!

xoxo
Sabrina

HCG Peach Meringue Cookie Recipe

Peach Meringue Cookie Recipe Altered to work for HCG Diet!
Yay!!!

As you know I already have posted a delicious recipe for Meringue Cookies prior to this. Well these are a recipe I found on Pinterest that I took inspiration from and created Peach Meringues!

They're light and airy with the sweet tang of peaches! The coloring is soft, peachy and inviting. This treat is a must have when you're feeling deprived and want to cheat. Why is that? Well BECAUSE the whole recipe only has 50 calories! 

That's approximately 12 cookies for 53 calories!!! No Joke! (I'll break down the calories for you later.)

I cannot stress to you enough how this diet is life altering for those on the journey. It's at times very frustrating and other times so joy filled and occasionally depression filled. Gotta be honest. 

If you had to go completely off your normal eating habits and were used to having what you wanted when you wanted it you'd feel very deprived of the joy's of eating. I know I did! 

And at times when I see my family consume ice cream or even kielbasa sausages hot off the grill I very much want to chuck that little bottle in the trash can with some words of hate and lob off a hunk of that yummy grease filled meat or grab a bowl of that creamy cold ice cream top it with chocolate sauce and nuts and dig in. But then I remember the feeling of being the sausage I was before I started this journey. Yep! Stuffed in a pair of jeans or shorts. Not so good a feeling. So I decided I'd start to think outside the HCG box and find ways to trick my mind into feeling like I am filled and emotionally fulfilled by the foods I eat and create so much so that I can get my family to join me at the table. 

So with the invention of the ever popular search engine that Pinterest is I am able to find things and augment or alter all together to make a meal or treat that fits into the HCG diet parameters or is only a bit Rogue but still fits the bill. Hell, it ain't lying, cheating or stealing until you get caught right? Or you stall... maybe gain. But that's how you learn how your body works and how you need to change things for you. Because that is what this diet is really about... Y O U. 

It's all about you. You're the center of the universe right now. The foods YOU eat, the number YOU see on that scale, the measurements YOU see on the ribbon, the injection, drops, tablets YOU give yourself to encourage YOUR body to do as YOU say. The compliments YOU receive or (and Please Do this Part it's VERY Important!!!) the Compliments YOU give YOURSELF! It is Truly ALL ABOUT YOU! :)

And after you're done and have reached your goal weight hopefully you'll still continue to focus on you. It's still important. You're still important. Even if you stop hearing "Wow! You've lost so much weight!" or "You look GREAT!" It's still about you. About how YOU Feel. How YOU eat. Etc. You still need to focus on eating healthy and taking all those great eating habits with you into the future for the You that YOU have become! The Healthier, Happier You. 

That's what this Journey is supposed to be about. Nurturing yourself and healing all the bad we've done to our bodies with the foods we've stuffed ourselves with without even thinking or sometimes even knowing the serious consequences of doing so. 

So this recipe is HEALTHY and can be used beyond HCG in Your New Eating Style created by you for you. 

Ingredients:

2 egg whites room temp (I use eggs from a local gal who has hens that give her those pretty green globes. Love them! So Yellow and untouched by chemicals. )

1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar

Stevia Powder to taste (Trader Joe's in the shaker without the added powdered milk.)

1tbs Peach Compote (recipe follows)

Peach compote:

1/3 Ripe Peach or 5-6 slices frozen

2 tbs Water

1/4 tsp Vanilla 

Stevia 1 small scoop (Trader Joe's comes with a tiny scoop in the shaker bottle. Use that as your measurement)

Toothpick Tipped Wilton's Red Frosting Dye (if wanted. Not Needed! It's only to add a bit of a pop of color)

First Things First! Heat that oven to 300f. This has to be done first!!! Trust me!

Separate your egg whites fro the yokes and set them in the mixer so they reach room temp, covered.

While those are sitting take your peach slices and place them in a small sauce pan with 2 tbs water. Cook your peaches down, chopping, stirring and breaking apart. You're making a quick jam otherwise known as a compote. When they're soft stir in the vanilla and a scoop of Stevia. USE the small scoop provided in the Trader Joe's shaker. If you're not using Trader Joe's stevia add 1/4 pkt plus or minus depending on the sweetness you want. 

Once peaches are done puree in your Magic Bullet. You will end up with approximately 2 tbs compote... We only need 1 for the recipe so save the rest for a frozen ice blendy treat!

Pour out onto a plate to cool. Take your toothpick with the tip dipped in red frosting dye and run through the compote until you're happy with the color. (AGAIN! You do NOT have to add food dye to your compote unless you want to. For me color is fun. I absolutely favor colorful foods.)

Set aside to finish cooling while you whip up your egg whites.

Now that your egg whites are room temperature add the cream of tartar and turn the mixer on medium/high (make sure you're using the wire whip). Watch your eggs go from liquid to frothy in a couple minutes. Whip until they get stiff and come to peaks. Gently fold in stevia. 

Then take 1/2 of the frothy egg whites and gently fold it in to the peach compote. Take that mixture back to the main bowl and gently fold into the rest of the whites. Doesn't have to be perfect here. Marbled is ok because it looks pretty. 

Spoon out your batter onto a parchment lined pan. I used a teaspoon as my scoop. This gave me approximately 13 cookies. 

Place in the oven and immediately turn it off! Set the timer for 1 hour. When the dinger goes off your meringues should be done. If they're still moist in the center you can leave them in for another 10-15 min. or until dry. 

That's it! :)

Caloric breakdown!

2 Egg Whites = 34 calories
1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar = 1 calorie
1/2 Peach = 30 calories ...cooks down to 2 tbs. We used only 1 tbs = 15 calories
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract = 2.5 so lets make it 3 calories

Stevia = 0 Calories
Water = 0 Calories
Total Calories for the whole recipe = 53 Calories!!!
That's 4.4 calories per cookie!

Joy in Eating those Little Delights = Priceless!!!

Hope this makes your journey a bit more colorful and tasty!!!
Sabrina

Phew it's HOT!!!

It's hot and I'm fussy...not because of the heat but because TOM has arrived and I'm doing the whole no NSAIDs thing.

TOM (time of the month) started yesterday. I was wondering why my weight loss slowed down to a crawl! That and I haven't been hungry at all. I was actually relieved when I figured out it wasn't because of me and how I was doing on HCG.

So while I am relieved that my slow losses just had to do with my natural bio rhythm I'm not so happy with my real pain tolerance. Seriously!!! I don't remember ever having cramps this bad. It's making me seriously want to run down to the store and grab a bottle of Ibuprofen. Honestly.

It feels like I'm going through some sort of withdrawals or something. One minute I'm fine and coping ok then the next I'm feeling like I'd eat my own child just to get one of those little brown pills. It's really scary. I never realized how dependent on pain relievers I was. Crazy!

In order to lessen the cramping and to ease my psycho brain I ate a tomato and cucumber salad with LOTS of dill!!! Dill is supposed to help with cramps. It definitely took the edge off for a bit. But I probably should have just stayed still.

I really want to make this happen in my back garden!

I went outside to plant a few plants I picked up today. I got through 4 pots before I had to stop. My arm decided to join my uterus. LOL Why?! Ugg!

Other than that I'm doing pretty good! :D Really!!!
Today is P2VLCD12 and I'm down 11.3lbs so far! I actually am seeing with my eyes the difference! The measuring tape shows that I've lost almost 2 inches around my waist and a solid inch around my bust, ribs, hips, thighs and ARMS!!! Seriously!!! This is so Awesome! Real results that you not only see on the scale but actually see in real time!

So tomorrow when I hit that scale I don't expect to see any change...maybe a gain because of water weight.

I'll let you know! :)

HCG P2 Thai Chicken Cucumber Salad

Here's a salad where I took a recipe and augmented it to fit my taste buds. This is what I do for lunch or dinner with my leftover chicken breast. Make it into salads!
This recipe is for a family of 4 eating dinner in my house. You can lower the recipe to fit one meal by quartering the ingredients.
Hope you like it!

P2 Thai Chicken Cucumber Salad   With Dressing that can be used as a Sauce!

Ingredients:
2 Cooked Chicken Breasts Cubed
2 Cucumbers Cubed or Julienne like in the photo

Sauce/Dressing
1 Green Onion Chopped Small
3 tbs Chopped Cilantro
2 Large Basil Leaves Rolled and Cut Thin
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder (or 2 Garlic Cloves Mashed and Chopped Fine)
1/4 tsp Chille Pepper Paste or more to taste
1/4 tsp Lemmon Grass (dried)
2 - 4 tbs Braggs Liquid Amino's (it's salty so you might want less or to cut it with water)
2-4 tbs Lemon Juice
2 - 4 tbs Rice Vinegar (No Sugar)
Stevia to taste

Mix all Sauce/Dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Cut your chicken breast in to cubes and set aside. Slice/julienne your cucumbers and put on top of your chicken. Pour your dressing mix over the top and toss.

Remember I said that Braggs is a bit salty! This is where your tastebuds come into play here. If you're ok or craving salt go ahead with the 4 tbs. If you're not use less and substitute with water. ALSO if you make it with all the ingredients at full strength you can add water to lighten the salt. This can be a sweeter dressing if you'd like. Just add Stevia to match your mood!

I also will use this Dressing as a Sauce over chicken while it's baking or just cook it up to reduce it a bit and pour over my chicken after it's done.

Enjoy!!!

Well Then! ~ & ~ a Yummy Summer Salad Recipe

Well! After that little post about NSAID's I'm back to fill you in on my HCG journey!

These were chickens roasted on the spit from last year. Don't they look Yummy!

They are much larger than the little Cornish Game Hens featured below. 

Yesterday was a FUN day filled with running around and fixing our gargantuan barbeque. It has sat broken down and missing a jet for over a year now. Last year my husband decided to take the barbeque back behind my shop and deep clean it. While doing so he removed the jets to inspect and clean. While removing one jet it came out in two pieces. That sucked but we figured we could find the part and have it back up and running in no time. NOPE!

We found the part and ordered it. Waited and waited and waited...no part delivered. This was after a month. We called and they said it was on back order. So we waited again. More time goes bye and still no part or no contact from the appliance sales people. We call again and this time were informed that they discontinued that part but they were on back order if any parts should be around they'd be the first to receive them and they'd ship our part out to us as soon as they got it. We ordered this part in May last year. This was in August of that same year. And then back to them again in October. We finally have them refund us and sit and sulk. We use our barbeque all the time! Good thing we had our tailgate barbeque! While tiny it still cooks steak ok.

So a couple weeks ago we were looking at replacing our monster barbeque and my husband had a great idea. Let's see if we can find the part once more before we go looking for another. This is a huge Jenn Air Grill and is not going to be cheap to replace. So I agree. He looks and finds it in 10 minutes! AWESOME!!! And it's actually in stock. The only problem is that it's not like the original part but is a re-configured part that was made to work and replace the old jets. So we order it.

Ok, I'm thinking for 100.00 it better work! But mostly I'm thinking it better actually be in stock and get shipped. You know?! Sheish!

So it arrived on Thursday! Yay!!! It's definitely different from the others. But we'll see. It took a couple hours to tear the beast apart and put the new part in. We fired up that baby and my sweet husband cooked us some Cornish Game Hens on the spit! Oh So Yummy!!!

I wish I had taken photos! They were so pretty!!!

Well, remember for HCG we don't do fat, starch or sugar of any kind! So I had my portion of a game hen without skin. Which is cool anyway because YUCK! Unless it's crunchy. This one had crunchy skin in spades. But YUCK anyway! Yep! Keep telling myself that! ;)

I made a cucumber and tomato salad. So delicious and super easy!!!

Cucumber Tomato Salad ala Sabrina

1 Cucumber cut into cubes
2 Tomatoes cut into cubes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 c Rice Vinegar (No SUGAR Added)
1/8 tspRed Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Liquid Amino's
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder (or 1 clove fresh)
1/8 tsp Onion Powder (or 1/4 onion chopped fresh)
Stevia to taste

Mix and Eat! Now when I say stevia to taste you choose if you want to have a sweet salad or a salty salad. You can add it or leave it out. What ever goes with the meal you're making or your mood. I omitted the stevia last night because it fit the meal.

The reason I didn't use fresh onions is that I have Vidalia Onions which are super sweet/high on sugar content. I had the 2 veggies above and don't want to add more to my caloric content. I have made this with all fresh raw ingredients~ Garlic, Onion Cuc's and Tomatoes before and it's delish! So you decide how you want to make it.

Now if you want to know how the cornish game hens were cooked it's simple...
Grab your thawed hens, season them with your favorite seasonings and slip on the spit. Cook until they reach a temperature of 160 (breast area) -170 (thigh area) on your meat thermometer.

We seasoned them in this order:
Sea Salt rubbed in
Sprinkled them with part of a packet of "Balsamic & Roasted Onion Veggie Roaster" by Urban Accents. Weird I know but Oh So Good!!!
And finally a bit of Johnny's because that's a staple in our house.
They sat after that for about 30minutes waiting and marinating and then were trussed and put on the spit then placed on the rotisserie until they were done.
Easy Peasy!

My VLCD5 Results (This is after my 4th day of 500 calories):
Down another .7lbs!
I decided I needed to see if anything was actually happening besides eliminating water weight. There is!!! I have already lost over an inch on my waist! Seriously!!! I didn't measure anywhere else because that was enough to reassure me and to thrill me for today. :) So far so good!

By the way! I've found that by using the freeze-dried unsweetened unsulfured fruits like apples, strawberries, blueberries or raspberries I can satisfy that need for a sweet crunchy snack. They run about $3-5 depending on what you pick out. Go check them out! Yummy!!!

Each bag is listed as a single serving with 130 calories. If you break these down into smaller portions your purchase goes farther and gives you the space for the foods you're supposed to eat like protein. In other words they're good for a snack like your apple is. BUT don't go crazy!!! They are a snack not a meal! That's 130 calories of your 500 calorie allotment. Be smart about how you want to incorporate these delicious treats into your food program.

Ok, I'm off! Errands this morning and hitting the torch to fill bead orders this afternoon!
Have a Great Saturday!!!

NSAID's are Killing Us Silently!!!

I woke up this morning in pain like I do often. I have a shoulder injury that was caused by an Allegiant agent while I was working at our local airport. I have permanent damage and will always have pain whether mild or severe. The injury is in my shoulder which throws my back and neck into spasms or gives me tight muscles etc. The list really goes on to include constant headaches and migraines. It's nuts! But there is nothing that can be done except pain management.

My doctor(s), yes there are a few, prescribe methocarbamol, naproxin, hydrocodone, some migraine pills, some nerve blockers, and take ibuprofen as well.

Well, since I quit work I quit taking everything but the ibuprofen. My husband and kids were all over me about taking so many pills and what they could eventually do to my body.  They argued that since I was going to have to live with my injury for the rest of my life I should learn how to deal with the pain on my own.

My cousin was in a major car accident and has lots of musculoskeletal pain and has tossed out all his pain meds too because of the damage they can cause. I figured if he can deal with his pain on his own I could too. So I did. I tossed them in the bottom drawer and haven't looked a them since...All but the ibuprofen. I had to have something!!!

Well, today I woke up in pain and came straight out from my hot shower still aching. Not an ouch, that hurts but, but an if I have to move anymore today I'm going to cry pain. It's frustrating. So I headed to my trusty tiny bottle of ibuprofen (I used to buy the costco size) and grabbed my 4 tablets. 4 tablets equals 800mg. It's my regular dose. As I was getting ready to pop those babies in my mouth my husband says "What are you doing?"

Really? I'm in pain and I need relief. So as he's trying to get my attention about not taking ibuprofen because of all the complications that are being buried etc etc. I down them.

He's still going on and sits down at the computer saying something about being on the phone with someone Australian while at work, but can't go into it because it's work stuff, and pulls up these websites that show the complications caused by NSAID's that have been buried or washed over.

This is a huge list and it's terrifying! I'm shocked and now worried about what I've done to my body.

I know I've had a few symptoms on that list ~ gastro issues, bp issues etc. AND in one of the articles it states that "this is not just a problem associated with chronic treatment." In other words take it once in a while and you will still be doing harm.

READ THIS ARTICLE
Or THIS ONE It's where I got the photo above.

It's one of the most eye opening articles. There are more. So many more articles and studies that will blow you away!!!

Needless to say I'm tossing the ibuprofen and clearing out my bottom drawer of my meds and going to his naturopath this week. Maybe if I stop now it will help my body to fix what damage I've done already. Fingers Crossed!!!

OMG Becky! Look At Her Butt...

I have a Big Butt and I Cannot Lie! etc etc etc...

I can definitely go on and on but all I want to do is shake my rear like Cameron Diaz does in Charlie's Angels. Except it's really not as cute. My kids say it's kinda scary and that I'm freaking them out. LOL I definitely do it anyway just because of that reason! Gotta get it in before they leave home right? Because after that I'll probably be using a walker and embarrassing them is going to be in a way different category. ;) I'm assuming anyway.

Ok back to my butt! Yep! that's the subject for today. My big ass-pect. Pun is always intended when ass is used in any word or phrase.

The last time I did HCG and got down to my lowest...this is before I gained all my weight back... I lost my big butt. Literally. Saggy rear all the way. I've never felt my butt skin touch my thigh skin before so it kinda freaked me out. It didn't look bad. It was just an odd feeling. It's normal for your arms to touch your sides but not butt skin to touch thigh skin in a folding manner, for me at least.

This sagging skin is part of what I fret over with the results of loosing so much weight. I have what I call chicken tenders on the back of my shoulder area just above the bra line. These were still there last time but oh so much smaller. But my arms!!! They waved and were saggy. So were my thighs. You know when you lay down on your back to sunbath and you bend your knees up? My skin sagged down noticeably, to me that is.

The whole point of this diet is to feel better in my skin. To feel healthier. Sagging skin is a thing that makes me not feel so comfortable in my skin. I found out that I'm not alone.

While doing research on what I can do besides have it removed surgically. There have been reports that using MSM helps not only for sagging skin but wrinkles on your face. Wrinkles?!!! Yep. Wrinkles. I noticed that with the weight loss I also saw wrinkles on my face that I didn't have before because of my plump features. ;)

So to avoid this happening this time or to lessen it as it's bound to happen because my skin is stretched from holding all that fat in for safe keeping I've started a morning and night regimen of taking MSM and Powder C. I started this 2 weeks before I started this round of HCG.

I'm not going to lie to you...This stuff is BITTER! But as fast as it is bitter with a drink of water it's gone like that! Like you never had it in your mouth to begin with.

The best way I've found is to do it in a shot. 1 scoop of Powder C and 1 heaping spoon of MSM in a small amount of water and stir. Get it all floating and shoot that sucker! Then use the same cup for water.

You have to make sure you drink lots of water when you're taking this stuff as it's removing toxins from your body. As you release toxins the water will help you eliminate it from your body. Yep you're going to need a large amount water for HCG so you'll pee a LOT this works in your favor. Because while you need water for MSM you're already going to be drinking it for HCG. Win Win right?! :)

They say that  you're supposed to drink half your weight in ounces of water every day. I read somewhere that this counts for tea too. I'm an iced tea and hot tea drinker so this is perfect! Water/Tea are really all that I drink. I can't remember the last time I had coffee or anything else drink like that wasn't water or tea. I cannot stomach soda pop so I don't drink it.

How was that for rambling on about saggy skin and msm? I should probably share with you my daily HCG stats!

Today I woke up to a small 1/2 lb loss. BUT that's still Awesome because the scale is still going in the right direction. Small losses are still BIG!!!

Yesterday was a big loss of 2.7lbs.

So if you add my gain of 1.5
my VLCD1 loss of 2.5
and VLCD2 loss of 2.7
with VLCD3 loss of .5
you get a nice 4.2 pounds so far!

Remember this is in 3 days. 3 days!!! So imagine what tomorrow and the next day and the day after that will bring.

More Awesome Results!
xoxo

Results Already!

Yesterday was the first official day of the 500 calorie part of this diet.

I wasn't hungry. I was busy so that might have helped.

I woke up this morning down 2.6 lbs already. My scale actually said one weight the first time I stepped onto it and then when I was eager to look at it again it said a different weight .3lbs more than what it was before. Then again 15 minutes later it reflected the first weight. But I decided to stick with the higher weight because I think it will make tomorrows weigh in even better. ;) Besides if the scale can't make up it's mind I feel it's better to go with the higher weight just incase.

Today I have noticed I didn't get hungry until about 1pm -ish. It was an all of a sudden OMG I'm Starving! moment. That made for a quick grab of some chicken slices and mustard so I could calm down. After eating a couple bites I was fine. I got distracted and forgot to finish eating. Oh Well. I suppose I can make up for that with steak dinner! Yay!!!

Other than that my day has been busy and good. No longterm hunger pains. No headaches. No griping and complaining. Although I did put on my sweatshirt because I did get really cold. It was only 65 at the time so I'm blaming it on actually being cold and not the HCG.

Want to see why I was so busy yesterday? Here's a photo! 

Remember when I said I made beads? This is the batch that I made yesterday. I pulled them out of the kiln this morning. There are a couple sets and singles that I think I need to re-create for myself.

Here We Go!!! VLCD1

Day 1

It's that simple. Day 1. Today.

Today I start Phase 2. The actual weight loss part of the diet.

This is the first of several VLCD's (Very Low Calorie Diet/Day). I haven't yet finished my tea. Probably should do that because I am feeling hungry. But it's only 8 in the morning! Once my day gets rolling and I'm busy all should be good.

I finished off my last loading day with some ham cheese and mustard and one last episode of Revenge. Ooo! It was Yummy!!! I figured I'd wake up and see a 2 pound gain because I'm loading and I ate lots of fatty foods. Nope! I lost. So my 1.9 gain is now a 1.4. Easy enough to take off. I'm just hoping that it will not affect the first week of my VLCD.

The fat gained in the Loading Phase is supposed to help minimize hunger and assist your body in switching from phase 1 to phase 2 easier. I read that somewhere. I think it's all theory really.

I can theorize the loss as being water loss caused from the HCG. I can also theorize that my loss and low weight gain was caused by not having taken HCG for so long. It has been just over 9 months since my last attempted round that lasted only 2 weeks. I can also theorize that my minimal loss is a direct cause of my body being used to eating like crap already. ;) It's probably a combination of all those factors. At any rate I'm ok with it. I think my body will function the way it should on this round.

My mind is in a very different place and my body is definitely there as well. This is for more than just loosing weight to look good in a pair of jeans or no clothes at all.

I've noticed that since my weight gain I have more aches and pains in my knee's, hips, back and really just all over. It's not just my shoulder injury that hurts any longer. It's my whole body. If my muscles and joints hurt can you imagine what the inside of my body is feeling? My heart? My liver and kidneys? Not to mention my intestines!

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease 8 years ago. I totally didn't believe that they were correct on the diagnosis. After all I was FAT! Really FAT! But from that time I learned that my body, joints especially, cannot handle wheat. It literally hurts my body. Weird huh. You grow up with mac and cheese and all those delicious cookies and cakes and then all of a sudden you're thrown into this world of not being able to have it unless you're willing to suffer the consequences. That's what started my weight loss journey way back in the day.

Did you know that Crohn's Disease is a disease of Industrialized Countries? It is. What do all these countries have in common? Processed Foods!!! When my gastrointestinal doctor told me that little snip-it I was floored! We lived on box foods because they VERY were affordable. By buying products that were marketed as being wholesome and affordable I was killing my body...And I was feeding my children that crap too!!!

Since that discovery I've personally cut back on purchasing any boxed foods. The kids now see mac and cheese as a treat that they get to have once in a blue moon... maybe once a year. We cook meats and veggies. But we're still stuck in the sweet's part of the mess. I'm working on that with them now. They're not happy but they will be when they grow up. We can still have sweet treats. It just won't be processed sweet treats. It will be fresh or made here where we know what's in it.

I think that's a good trade off for a healthy body and healthy children. Don't you?

Back to today! I've got a day to plan and live. I'm thinking chicken for dinner...
xoxo

Once Upon A Time in a Land Not So Far Away...

Once Upon A Time in a Land Not So Far Away...

There lived this woman who did HCG and Loved her results! She got to one of her goal weights and was feeling so good about herself! Then she quit her job to pursue her home based business/art. This was an Awesome Decision and one she would never regret! But there comes a time in a girls life when she's not paying attention to her physical being as much as she's paying attention to her business.

One day she looks in the mirror and see's that she's let the view become distorted. She's gained 15 pounds of that hard earned weight loss back. So she thinks to herself. I've got this. But in all reality she doesn't. She had forgotten the way of the clean eating lifestyle and set herself up for disappointment when she gained another 5 pounds back. And then a pound here and a pound there. Finally ending up way back where she started.

Yep! That woman is me. I did that to myself. I was all gung-ho about getting back into my next round that when I started and failed I just gave up.

The second round started off with a great 7 pound loss and ended up with my being hungry all the time and only thinking about food. Food Food FOOD! Not apples, chicken or steak. But Whipped Cream and Cookies! I was dreaming and daydreaming about that crap!!! Anyway, one cookie lead to another and BAM! No more HCG round. But I was ok with that because lets face it. I couldn't control my mind what makes me think I could control my mouth. Not to mention I was at a comfortable weight.

That was before the Christmas From Hell!!! I kid you not. It was absolute hell and we're not going to go there. ;) Let's leave the past in the past and move on.

Well, needless to say the Christmas Hell brought me full circle back to my old habits and straight into my old pants. Not a good feeling when I've already taken all of them to the secondhand shops. Yep. I had to break down and buy larger shirts and pants.

This is what happens when you don't follow P3 or P4 properly OR when you ignore those couple pounds. Don't skip those stages just because you're at your goal weight. The weight WILL come back! AND with a FATTY VENGEANCE!!! I kid you not! Look at my before and after photos. They're friggen backwards. It's supposed to be fat to skinny not skinny to fat.

 

You know, I do have to say that HCG does work! It works if you follow the protocol all the way through to the end of P4. I did it before! That's how I stayed under 200 for over 4 years. Just so you know after that first round I got under the 200 mark and was happy. Very happy. I kept it off and ate what I wanted. Moderation was definitely the key. But I could have cookies and ice cream and not think twice. It was the subsequent round where I wanted to drop from 190 to a much slimmer me. The me that I know is in there. When I didn't follow the protocol after failing my third round that's what messed everything up. I went back to my old habits with a jacked up system that didn't know that it wasn't supposed to hold onto the fats etc. 

So here I sit today with a much larger ass-pect on this process. ;) Pun fully intended here. 

I'm currently on my second day of loading (R3P1D2 ~ Yes, I'm officially calling this round three even though I did a round three in October of last year that only lasted 2 weeks. I think I can consider that a Non-Round round. Don't you agree?) 

I'm doing injections that I purchased through NuImageMecical. I weighed in at 189.1 on D1 and this morning I'm at 190.0 so I've gained 0.9 pounds so far. It's not a large gain because frankly I was nauseous all day yesterday. Might be the HCG. I did eat and drink...just not that well. 

Today I started off with my morning dose of HCG followed by my daily drink of MSM and Powder C. Now I'm sitting down with my morning cup of tea. I drink tea every morning now that I quit drinking coffee. I drink a mock london fog. I drink Earl Grey with Vanilla Stevia and some Almond Milk. Truly I love it with soy as well. But definitely not with milk any longer. It's not a lactose thing, I just don't like the taste of milk anymore. Haven't for years. As far as my MSM and Powder C drink goes, I just mix a scoop of Powder C in a small wine glass with water then add a heaping spoon of MSM and stir until it looks good enough to drink. Sometimes it dissolves easily other times it doesn't. I have to be honest! This is the most bitter drink evah! Glech! But the bitter goes away quite quickly once it's down. 

Ok so here are today's photos. No makeup, no softening of the skin via editing. It's the Real Deal Baby!!!

 

 

Ok, so several comments. Notice my bulgy sides and belly? That was gone before. And look at my thighs. That bulge at the apex? That was gone too. My arms were much slimmer as well. 

Oh! But! Hey!!! My hair is longer!!! :) 

Ok, enough for today. I've got to hit the torch! Those beads don't make themselves!

~ xoxo ~