Hello... Remember me???

Despite what you may have thought, I'm still alive and kicking! First, I owe everyone an apology. One of my buddies (thanks Raj ;-) pointed out to me that I really left you guys on a cliffhanger post. I did not realize that my last post was right after I injured my back! You probably thought that I ended up in traction in the hospital or something. Well, that certainly wasn't the case. After a few days of ibuprofen, ice, and heat with my feet up, my back healed up and I was relatively back to normal.


The problem was that by the time I was back on my feet, we were well into the Advent season and Christmas was just around the corner. Between church functions, concerts, plays, family gatherings, present wrapping, etc. etc. etc., it was almost impossible to fit in blogging time. You see, I am an engineer by trade, and I'm all about the details. Because of this, I would spend upwards of two to three hours a day writing my posts. (I know, I know... crazy... but my anal-retentive self would read, re-read, add a little, delete a little, read again, correct spelling, read again... If I missed a key point or sent something misspelled out into cyberspace it would devastate me!) Another one of my "issues" is that if I can't do something right, then I don't want to do it at all! So, rather than checking in with a 5 minute post, I chose not to post at all.


Then, Christmas led into New Years, which led into January, which ushered in the "winter blues" for me. At that point, I was feeling so low that the thought of trying to write a "motivating" blog was pretty much impossible. I had also gained some of my weight back (more on that tragedy later) and because of, well, I'll just say "female problems," I was not in a good position to jump back into the protocol. It was all very discouraging.


Then, as the days in January started ticking by, I came to realize something that shocked me. Up until that point, I really only knew of one or two people who were reading the blog faithfully and responding, and those folks were finished up by that time. But, especially after the new year began, I have been contacted by SO MANY PEOPLE who are asking me to PLEASE get back to blogging. I'm both flattered and... embarrassed!  I'm worried that I left a bunch of folks wondering if HCG really works, and I'm afraid that my abrupt ending might have been discouraging to those that were faithfully following along.  I want to quickly assure you that I am still a card-carrying HCG fan, but, as I alluded to earlier, I have had some rocky parts to my journey. I'll attempt to fill you in now...


Reflecting back to November (go re-read my posts if you want), my Round 2 Phase 2 ending was pretty ghastly. I was experiencing hunger that was bordering on excruciating so I made the decision to stop short of my 40 injections. Also, I was experiencing significant hair loss. I didn't end up with any bald spots, but I might have if I hadn't had really thick hair to begin with.  Then, to top it all off, TOM arrived (early!) almost simultaneously with my final days. I never did figure out what was going on at the end of my round, but it was an unusual one to say the least.  Primarily due to taking a break in the middle of my round for a week-long trip and my ever-present "female problems," I was on the VLCD for about 50 days. Perhaps that is just more than my body could take? I don't know. But, I did know that extreme hunger popping up after the "HCG no-hunger nirvana" signals that I was losing normal fat instead of abnormal fat, and that is not good. Any normal fat that you use near the end of the round will almost certainly be immediately gained back as soon as you resume eating fats in Phase 3, so this is not something that you want to do.


Reflecting back on December and early January: I did not restrain myself as I should have, and I reverted to the American way of "no holds barred" eating over the holidays. I did fairly well during Phase 3, but I really pushed the limits during Phase 4. I fell into the "I'll be starting round 3 in January, and I'll take care of things then" trap. (Flash to Scarlett O'Hara: "I'll think about that tomorrow... because tomorrow... is another day!") And, probably the worst mistake of all: I stopped weighing myself. Notice that I did not say "I stopped weighing myself every day" but "I stopped weighing myself." Period. By the time my "winter blues" arrived in early January, I was well into the habit of not watching what I was eating and not jumping on the scale to face the music and have a correcting Protein Day. Since I was already feeling like I was in the pit of despair, I just couldn't face getting on that scale.  And so... sigh... I didn't. The thing that I could not ignore, however, is that those size 10 jeans that were fitting so nicely at the end of my last round were not fitting so comfortably anymore. And then -- gasp! -- they weren't fitting AT ALL. Boy, was that devastating to me. Thankfully, it was enough to get me to pull myself out of my self-imposed imprisonment in the pit of despair. It was tough, because I was seeing so many people that I had not seen for awhile during Christmas who were giving me complement after complement on my svelte new body, but inside I was feeling quite ashamed of myself because I knew that, slowly but steadily, I was beginning to gain that weight back.


Finally, I got a grip on myself, stopped the pity party, jumped on the scale and faced the music. I said "It is what it is" and made plans to start Round 3 soon. At that point, we had a weekend trip planned with friends coming up, and I decided to start right after we returned. So, on January 19th, I had my first loading day. In the interest of being complete, here's my stats from that day up until today:
D1, Load:    157.6 lbs
D2, Load:    158.3 lbs (+0.7 lbs for the day)
D3, VLCD1: 161.6 lbs  (+3.3 lbs for the day)
Total Gain During Load:  4 lbs
D4,  VLCD2:   157.9 lbs    (Total loss: -3.7 lbs)
D5,  VLCD3:   156.7 lbs    (Total loss: -4.9 lbs)
D6,  VLCD4:   155.2 lbs    (Total loss: -6.4 lbs)
D7,  VLCD5:   155.2 lbs    (Total loss: -6.4 lbs)*
D8,  VLCD6:   153.2 lbs    (Total loss: -8.4 lbs)
D9,  VLCD7:   151.5 lbs    (Total loss: -10.1 lbs)
D10, VLCD8:   152.6 lbs   (Total loss: -9.0 lbs)*
D11, VLCD9:   151.7 lbs   (Total loss: -9.9 lbs)
D12, VLCD10: 152.1 lbs   (Total loss: -9.5 lbs)*
D13, VLCD11: 151.5 lbs   (Total loss: -10.1 lbs)
D14, VLCD12: 150.4 lbs   (Total loss: -11.2 lbs)
D15, VLCD13: 149.0 lbs   (Total loss: -12.6 lbs)
D16, VLCD14: 149.2 lbs   (Total loss: -12.4 lbs)*TOM
D17, VLCD15: 148.6 lbs   (Total loss: -13.0 lbs) TOM

D18, VLCD16: 149.5 lbs   (Total loss: -12.1 lbs)*TOM
*Indicates a day where I either stayed the same or gained.
  These are easily chalked up to clothing change or
  retaining water, so no biggie.


So, there it is in black-and-white. My LIW from Round 2 was 147.9 lbs. I started this round at 157.6 lbs. The sad truth is that I did put on close to 10 lbs between rounds. Now, I can almost hear you saying "Whoa! Hang on! Wait a minute! What about your rested and reset hypothalamus! How did you pack on 10 lbs between Nov 14th and Jan 19th? What a ripoff!!!" But please, please, PLEASE do not let my experience color your opinion of HCG. First and foremost, you must remember the bad ending to my last Phase 2. I am certain that I lost normal fat, and could easily believe that I lost 5 lbs or even more than that, which I would have put back on very quickly. If you were reading my blog then, you might remember that I zoomed up close to the upper end of my LIW+2 lb window very quickly. The truth is that I was having a very difficult time stabilizing within that window, and then -- soon after -- I stopped jumping on the scale. So, I really don't know where my "true" LIW should have been.


And while I'm at it -- I truly believe that me taking a "break" in the middle of my last round was not a good move from a stabilizing standpoint. I did follow protocol, but Dr. Simmeons did only have that as a part of the protocol as a contingency plan. My fear is that I interfered with the so-called "resting" of my hypothalamus. That, coupled with my problems at the end of the phase, had me in a tough spot. The final nail in the coffin: I stopped weighing every day and did not stay on top of things.


I strongly feel that if you have a good Phase 2 with no interruptions, stick to your guns in Phase 3, and eat REASONABLY in Phase 4, you WILL NOT go outside of that window. This was what happened to me during my first round. I ate reasonably and only occasionally went overboard (not until Phase 4 of course) and my weight stayed rock solid. I never had to do a Protein Day or, for you meat-eaters out there, a Steak Day. This time, I was swinging all around right off the bat, and then I made the poor decision not to make it a priority to step on that scale every day. That quickly led to me not stepping on it at all, and that was where I went wrong. And December was a very, very, very bad time to take that wrong turn.


I hope that you are still reading and that you are still committed to the protocol. Let me assure you that THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Even with my struggles over the past two months, I am so much better off than I was when I originally started this journey last July at 201 lbs. And, even if things go awry down the road for you like they did for me, you always have the opportunity to do another round! This thing will have you covered for LIFE.


I'm going to end here for now. Hey -- if you are reading this, post a comment and let me know where you are in your journey and how it is going so far. No need to identify yourself -- keep it anonymous! We can support each other. Also, if you ever have any questions for me, or if you are thinking "Gee, I wish she'd blog about <insert HCG issue here>," PLEASE leave a comment and let me know. I want to talk about the things that you are interested in. I'm no medical expert, but I can give you my honest opinion based on my experience with HCG over the past six months.


Til next time -- LATER ALL YOU WONDERFUL LOSERS! :D

Yes, I'm still here... I'll try to catch you up.

This is an atypical update, but I felt that I couldn't let any more time pass without posting something since it looks like I dropped off the edge of the earth.  I apologize for neglecting you, and for not having a list of my weigh-ins for the missed days.  I will try to get that done in the next update if I can.

I didn't keep detailed food diaries but I tried to weigh most days.  I will try my best to list everything I can right now relying on my feeble memory.  Sorry for the sketchiness, but it's the best I can do right now.  More on the reason for that later...

Thanksgiving update:  I didn't do too well and didn't follow my own advice.  I didn't eat much at Thanksgiving Lunch #1, but didn't load up on the raw veggies, either.  The best I did was some fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries brought by my sweet cousin, but I ate some of the starchy veggies too.  I tried to get the water and the ACV in, but I didn't drink nearly enough.  At Thanksgiving Lunch #2 (yes, we went to both sides of the family) I let myself get hungry and ate starches.  Not my mammoth serving sizes of the past, but definitely more than my teaspoonful "tastes."  Then, the cardinal sin -- I visited the dessert table.  Once I ate the starches I had this "What the Hell... It's Thanksgiving" kind of attitude and dived in.  Big mistake.  Along with my coffee, I ate no sugar added pumpkin pie and then chased it with a generous slice of lots of sugar added carrot cake. :(  Woke up to a significant gain that put me over my LIW+2 lb window.

Friday: I was a cleaning maniac, fueled by guilt from the scale climbing and the fact that I couldn't bear putting up my Christmas Tree/Decorations in my filthy dirty house.  Scrubbed floors, washed windows, dusted everything in sight, cleaned out the fridge...  I didn't eat much until afternoon and tried to stick to the "tried and true" eggs, cheese, and nuts.  Let myself get over-hungry and probably overdid it late in the day, but at least stuck to "legal" foods.  I felt better with the straightened up house, and I was proud that I stuck to "legal" foods, although it wouldn't really qualify as an official "steak" day.

Saturday:  Woke up to a small loss, but still outside the LIW+2lb window.  Continued with "Operation Clean," but also started experimenting with some Almond Flour creations from my new cookbook The Almond Flour Gluten Flour Cookbook by Elena Amsterdam.  After the Thanksgiving debacle, I wanted to try to make some creations that might pass for holiday hors d'ouvres and goodies. I was also hopeful that my family would also enjoy the goodies.  I ordered the ingredients from Amazon (be prepared to drop a pretty penny on that stuff -- Almond Flour costs as much as powdered gold) and decided to try to make the Cheese Crackers and the Spicy Crackers.  They turned out pretty good, and even the family liked them.  Next, I wanted to try the Sandwich Bread, but I didn't have all the ingredients.  Unfortunately, I did have the ingredients to make the Pecan Raisin Bread, and decided to give that a whirl.  It turned out very nicely, and although it didn't have any added sweetener (Elena uses Agave Nectar most of the time for that purpose) it DID have raisins, which certainly aren't Phase 3 friendly.  This was a treat, especially with the Organic Cream Cheese I spread on it.  I probably ended up scarfing down three slices.  Ugh.  Then, I completely blew it that evening.  It was the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech football game and we had some good friends over.  The snacks were easy for me to avoid (I was full of Pecan Raisin bread, remember???) but we had (gasp) Mulled Wine.  I was so chilly and it smelled so good that I had to try it.  Then, I had to have another mug.  And then, I had another mug.  It was pretty much like injecting straight sugar directly into my veins.  Worst mistake yet:  woke up to 1.3 lb gain. :(  Now I am WAY over my window and solidly in the lower 150's. :(

Sunday-Tuesday:  Did the best I could with the eggs/nuts/cheese combo, although the cost of the organic, raw cheese and nuts was becoming cost-prohibitive with me living off of them.  So, not all the nuts and cheese were organic and raw.  Hitting the ACV and Yogi Peach Detox Tea hard... Weight crept down in very small increments, but no where close to taking off what I gained.

Wednesday:  Who shows up a FULL THIRTEEN DAYS EARLY??? You guessed it, there is TOM on my doorstep, grinning evilly. Had a small gain to add insult to injury.  Not a happy day.  Still tried to stick to the egg/nuts/cheese combo, but I'm starting to worry that I need to start throwing in some different foods.  I'm hoping against hope that my cholesterol/triglycerides are not going through the roof.

Thursday (today):  I wake up to an even bigger gain.  Can't remember exactly -- 0.7 lbs maybe?  Now I'm creeping ever so close to crossing from the "Normal" range back into the "Overweight" range on my Wii. Damn you TOM, sugars, starches, and my fragile willpower!  This is really getting me down and I'm starting to worry that I have really screwed up my Phase 3 and the gains are going to continue.  I was playing with fire eating the starches and sugars, and I sure don't seem to be successfully resetting my hypothalamus.  During Round 1, I was exceptionally good during Phase 3, and it paid off nicely for me during Phase 4.  I'm afraid that the rest of this round is going to be quite rocky, especially with all the Christmas opportunities to cheat and my numerous screw ups during this Phase 3.

So, I resolved to try to do a simulated steak day, even though I am probably too late.  Remember that Dr. Simeons is very specific that you do the steak day IMMEDIATELY when you go more than 2lbs over your LIW.  So, I get my day going and headed out the door to take my two puppies to be groomed.  Carried them outside for one last bathroom trip, and in my haste I bent over at the waist to set them on the ground.  Considering that I have a history of throwing my back out and the puppies are pushing about 15 lbs each, this was a huge mistake.  When I got them about 5 inches off the ground, POW!  Out goes my back.  Agony ensues, and since I was home alone I laid against my car in the garage for about an hour unable to move.  I finally was able to hobble inside and take some pain meds, and was able to make it until a family member could come provide aid.  So -- here I am.  Hopped up on pain meds and nothing to do but sit and type.  I've eaten mostly Ezekiel bread and cheese (needed something easy) to try to buffer my stomach from all the meds, so I'm sure that isn't going to help with the scale.  But, I'm just going to do what I have to do, and hope for the best.

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be able to move around a little more and can record all the weights I missed off my Wii graph.  And, I'll work on having a more positive outlook.  Time for some more drugs... Night All.

Turkey Day minus one!

Start Weight at beginning of Round 2: 168 lbs
Weight After Loading for Round 2:    171.7 lbs
Last Injection Weight (LIW):   147.9 lbs

Total weight lost for Round 2:  23.8 lbs
R2P3D11: 149.0 lbs (LIW + 1.1 lbs)

As you might surmise, I am probably not going to be able to post every single day.  My days are getting very hectic, and that will continue through the holidays I am sure.  I will do the best that I can though -- I promise!  I'm still hanging pretty rock steady, even with eating a few starches and the occasional sugar here and there.  (Yes, I know I'm not supposed to do that yet! ;-)  My diet is still centered around eggs, nuts, and cheese, however.

On to the menu:

8a:  20oz water, lemon, Lemon Drop Stevia

9-11a:  Coffee, Hazelnut Stevia, Organic Skim Milk

3p:  Few slices of Smoked Gouda

3-5p:  40oz water, lemon, Lemon Drop Stevia, ACV

5p:  3 Organic Eggs topped with Smoked Gouda

5:30p:  Organic, raw almonds and cashews

6:30p:  Yogi Peach Detox Tea

8p:  20oz water, lemon, Lemon Drop Stevia, ACV

Can you tell that I made it to the store and picked up some smoked gouda?  LOL!  I love that stuff! :D

So, are you ready for the big day tomorrow???  Here's some last minute tips:

(1)  Drink a couple of big glasses of water BEFORE your Thanksgiving meal, preferably with some ACV if you can stomach it.  The ACV will help to curb your appetite.  Then, sip water or decaf tea along with your meal.

(2)  Bring some raw, non-starchy veggies to the meal:  broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, and try to take up at least 1/4 of your plate with these.  They will give you some crunch and will be filling.

For Phase 3 folks:

(3)  If you have successfully introduced them already, bring some mixed tree nuts (preferably organic and raw) and some cubed/sliced cheese (again, preferably organic and raw) and snack on these before and during your meal.  They are very satisfying and go very nicely with the raw veggies.

(4)  This is SO not protocol, but it is my honest opinion:  give yourself a taste of some of those typical Thanksgiving foods if you so desire only IF (and this is a BIG IF) you know that you can control yourself. Just a taste -- a couple of teaspoons or so of each. But, try to make wise choices: sweet potato instead of white potato, broccoli casserole instead of mac n' cheese, spinach cranberry salad instead of potato salad, and avoid the stuffing and the rolls.

(5)  Avoid the dessert table if at all possible.  If you must, perhaps bring a "no sugar added" cheesecake or pie, and have a SLIVER.  Or go back to the salad area and grab some fruit.  And, sip some coffee and indulge in some cream.  Don't forget to bring your stevia with you.

(6)  Enjoy your time with your family and/or friends and remember to thank the Big Man Upstairs for all your blessings!

I wish everyone a safe, healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!  'Til next time -- later maintainers! :D

Oops! I didn't mean to leave you hanging!

Start Weight at beginning of Round 2: 168 lbs
Weight After Loading for Round 2:    171.7 lbs
Last Injection Weight (LIW):   147.9 lbs

Total weight lost for Round 2:  23.8 lbs
R2P3D9: 148.8 lbs (LIW + 0.9 lbs)

Sorry that I was gone for the entire weekend!  I was just running crazy from early 'til late both days, so I didn't even have time to weigh, much less blog.

The bad news:  I did not take my own advice about being prepared, and I was stuck in quite a few situations where I did not have Phase 3-compliant foods to eat.  In fact, I went to a family Thanksgiving feast on Sunday for lunch.  I'll admit, I ate starch.  I went through the line and took very small "tastes" (like a tablespoon or so) of each of the foods I wanted (fried okra, sweet potato souffle, and green beans to name a few).  By the time I was done, probably 3/4 of my plate was not Phase 3-compliant.  I also GREATLY neglected my water intake all weekend.  I probably only got in about 40oz of water each day, which is less than half what I usually drink.

The good news:  When I weighed this morning, I was only 0.2 lbs up. I guess that means that I am already starting to stabilize pretty well, and didn't eat anything over the weekend that I had a bad reaction to. This is wonderful news! I still don't advise that you do what I did, but if you have been on Phase 3 for a while and are stabilizing well, then you might be able to eat a few of your Thanksgiving favorites without getting burned. I will add that I stayed far away from the dessert table -- I didn't want to tempt fate that much! ;-)

On to the menu:

8a:       20oz water, lemon, and Lemon Drop Liquid Stevia

9-11a:  Coffee, hazelnut stevia, and organic half-n-half

12p:     Handful of mixed nuts

2:30p:  20oz water, lemon, Lemon Drop Stevia, ACV

3p:      Two organic eggs on one slice of toasted

           Ezekiel bread with mayo

The rest of my menu is sketchy.  I ate nuts several times

during the afternoon and evening.  Unfortunately, I was not

able to note the times I ate them.

Oh boy, I HAVE to get to the GROCERY STORE and start branching out my menu.  I am living on eggs, cheese and nuts.  I love them all, but I know that I've got to add in some more stuff.  Hopefully, I can do better tomorrow. 'Til then -- see ya!

Back up again...

Start Weight at beginning of Round 2: 168 lbs
Weight After Loading for Round 2:    171.7 lbs
Last Injection Weight (LIW):   147.9 lbs

Total weight lost for Round 2:  23.8 lbs
R2P3D6: 148.6 lbs (LIW + 0.7 lbs)

1.1 lbs back up... such is life in Phase 3.  I'm still well within my window, so I'm not going to sweat it.  Possibly the two slices of Ezekiel bread (read: starch) was pushing the envelope a bit yesterday. Also, I really fell off the wagon on my water intake yesterday, along with skipping the Detox Tea. I'll try to do better in the water department today. Also, I need to start varying my menu. I HAVE to find time to get to the grocery store today. It is a must. Lastly, I weighed more than a full hour earlier than I have the past few mornings. I'm not so sure that accounts for a whole pound, but it might account for some.

Menu time...

8a:        20oz water with Lemond Drop Stevia and ACV

9a-12p:  Half-caf coffee with Hazelnut Stevia and

             Organic Half-n-Half

1p:        Two organic eggs with raw, organic white

             cheddar cheese on one toasted slice of

             Ezekiel bread with mayo

6p:        Lighted salted and roasted NOT ORGANIC :(

             Mixed Nuts (Cashews, Almonds, Macadamia,

             and Pecans)

7-10p:   20oz water with Lemon Drop Stevia and ACV

Oh dear... that is a sad menu.  At least I'm getting in a little protein, but I sure need to do better on the veggies...  I guess it is obvious that I didn't make it to the grocery store, huh?  Well, it was a crazy day, so food was difficult to come by.  Tomorrow will be the same, so it's going to be tough to get the food in again.  But -- it will be a fun day and I'm really looking forward to it.

By the way... I now know the reason for the 1.1 lb gain. Guess who showed up on my doorstep today??? Yep, none other than Mr. TOM. Oh well, what can you do??? I won't obsess over any gains for the next few days because I'll know where they are coming from.

Well, I've got to get to bed because it is a big day tomorrow. I don't even know if I'll have an opportunity to blog, but I'll try! See ya later, alligators!

Stable Mabel ;-)

Start Weight at beginning of Round 2: 168 lbs
Weight After Loading for Round 2:    171.7 lbs
Last Injection Weight (LIW):   147.9 lbs

Total weight lost for Round 2:  23.8 lbs
R2P3D5: 147.5 lbs (LIW - 0.4 lbs)

Another 0.2 lbs down from yesterday...  I am so pleased with this.  It hopefully indicates that yesterday's drop was not a fluke.  If I can stabilize right around my LIW, then that would be so wonderful.  I can probably start to broaden my menu a bit now.  I am starting to relax a little now.

Menu time!

9a:        20oz water with lemon and Lemon Drop Stevia

9-11a:  Half-caf coffee with Hazelnut Stevia and

             Organic half-n-half

12p:     Two Organic Eggs with 1 oz Organic, Raw

             White Cheddar Cheese on 1 Slice Toasted

             Ezekiel Bread with Mayo

3p:        20oz water

3:30p:  Organic Baby Spring Mix, Diced Avocado,

             Pink Grapefruit sections, Toasted Organic

             Pine Nuts

6:15p:  Heel (thin) slice Ezekiel Bread spread with

             Organic, Raw Almond Butter

6:30p:  One Apple, 1oz Organic, Raw White Cheddar,

             Organic, Raw Almonds and Cashews

9:30p:  2oz Organic, Raw White Cheddar

             Organic, Raw Almonds and Cashews

Reflection on the menu:  Oh well, I didn't change things up much today, did I?  It was mostly because this was what I had on hand.  But now I've run out of a bunch of stuff so I will have to make a grocery store trip tomorrow.  'Til then -- later guys!  :D

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......... what a ride!

Start Weight at beginning of Round 2: 168 lbs
Weight After Loading for Round 2:    171.7 lbs
Last Injection Weight (LIW):   147.9 lbs

Total weight lost for Round 2:  23.8 lbs
R2P3D4: 147.7 lbs (LIW - 0.2 lbs)

2.2 lbs of (most likely) water weight released!  Woo hoo!  Well, it appears that a high protein day with TONS of water works as well as a steak day, huh?  I was a bit worried that I had overdone it on the nuts. But on the other hand, I was hungry. When I was out and picked up that Smoked Gouda cheese from the grocery store yesterday evening, the hunger was overwhelming. And Dr. S says to eat until satisfied in Phase 3, and cautions about eating too little. I am relieved and somewhat surprised to be back under my LIW by a few ounces. It has really boosted my confidence and has allayed some of my fears about being able to stabilize within the LIW +/- 2 lb window. I would be very happy if I could stabilize right here.

Here's a list of what I was consciously doing to try to get down within my LIW +/- 2 lbs window:

- Eating mostly whole, organic, and when possible, raw, Phase 3-compliant foods

- Sticking with foods that I know don't cause me problems: eggs, nuts, cheese, cream

- Eating primarily high-protein foods all day

- Drinking at least 2-3 tablespoons of ACV a day diluted in water

- Drinking one Yogi Detox Tea a day

- Drinking a LOT of water -- 100+ ounces a day -- in addition to the decaf teas

- Eating whenever I was hungry

Here's a couple of things that just happened that may have contributed to my big loss this morning:

- My, er, uh, "plumbing" may have been a bit clogged, if you get my drift.  That seems to have improved greatly yesterday and today.  I'm thinking that may be due to all the water, the ACV, and/or the Detox Tea flushing out my system (pun intended :).

- I slept like a LOG last night.  I usually have to read or watch TV to lull myself to sleep, and last night come 10p or so I could not hold my eyes open.  It was like my body really needed sleep.  And I slept solidly for 8 hours, which I rarely do.  I believe that this may have contributed, too.  I don't know why that happened last night, but it did, and I am grateful!

Tip for the day:  During Phase 3, if you are going to be in a situation where you are out for 2+ hours, keep some raw, organic nuts in your car or desk or pocket/purse so that you do not get to a point where you are ravenous.  Having the HCG in your system during Phase 2 spoils you such that you could almost go all day with nothing to eat, so you kind of forget what it's like to be out somewhere and be assaulted by hunger pangs.  Don't let yourself feel the grip of intense hunger, because you are entering the danger zone then.  It is WAY too easy to grab something with sugar or starch when you are ravenous. DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN THAT SITUATION!  Try to squelch those temptations before they occur. Anticipate when they are probably going to happen and stay on top of it.

Speaking of temptations... Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. Whether you are Phase 2 or Phase 3, you need to start planning NOW. Don't just try to wing it or you will be setting yourself up for failure. You need to have a plan. And another thing: Thanksgiving has been transformed into a time for food and football, but that is not the intended objective of this holiday. It is about giving thanks to God for all of our blessings, and my friends we have SO much for which to be thankful. We wouldn't be in the situation that we are in if we weren't blessed with an abundance of food to eat when there are so many who have no idea where their next meal is coming from. Change your focus from food to family and give thanks to God for everything he has given you.

On to the menu:

9a:        20oz water with lemon and Lemon Drop Liquid Stevia

9-11a:  Half-caf coffee sweetened with Hazelnut Stevia and

             Organic half-n-half (I still haven't located organic

             heavy whipping cream yet -- looking...)

10a:     Two Organic eggs with raw, organic cheddar cheese

12p:     20oz water with lemon, Lemon Drop Stevia and ACV

2p:       20oz water with lemon, Lemon Drop Stevia and ACV

3p:       Organic Baby Spring Mix, One diced Avocado, Pink

             Grapefruit slices, and Toasted Organic Pine Nuts

3p:       20oz water with lemon and Lemon Drop Liquid Stevia

4p:       Organic raw almonds and cashews

4:30p:  Yogi Peach Detox Tea

5p:       2oz organic, raw white cheddar cheese

6p:       Decaf Green Tea (leaving Detox tea bag in, too)

6:15p:  2oz organic, raw white cheddar cheese and

             organic, raw almonds and cashews

7:30p:  Organic raw almonds and cashews

9p:        20oz water with Lemon and Lemon Drop Liquid Stevia

Reflection on the menu:  I guess that this may look boring to some, but I didn't want to go crazy adding in new things too fast.  And, these things all taste REALLY good to me.  But on the flip side, I know that I need to switch things up and keep my body guessing, so I probably need to move on and try something else tomorrow.  'Til then -- later you guys!  :D