You know, once you cheat, it's so much easier to cheat again. It weakens your core energy I think. I am in the last week of my HCG journey... Round 1, anyway. I will do a second round after our vacation in the fall with my daughter, Susannah. The cheats began around Week 4. I keep thinking to myself.... what would have helped? I had a LOT of celebratory events during that time. How can you remain vigilant when you are in a social setting. I suppose that's what mindful eating is about.
Now my cheats weren't substantial. At least, I don't qualify them as so. However, yesterday, I found myself out at a restaurant again. Chili's. Again. And it seems they have altered their menu so that the only grilled "seafood" available is shrimp or salmon. I was tired of shrimp. So I ordered the salmon. And ... it's not on the approved list.
In fact, salmon is a fatty fish. Granted, it's the good kind of Omega 3's that we all need more of. Just not during the HCG protocol. But I ate it anyway. ALL. OF. IT. So, I probably went over the 4 ounce limit as well. They served it in a strange cut. Long and thin. My brain had a hard time trying to decide just how much food that was. So I ate it all. Good rationalization? Probably not. I left the table feeling a little "too full," which probably means it was definitely over 4 ounces.
I went to the Chili's website to see if I could locate the nutritional info on the entree. The nutrition info was there, however, it was devoid of any proportion size. It stated "as served." What does that mean? And how do you know what the calorie count truly is if you don't have a "portion size" to tell you how much fish was on that plate? And... does that mean that someone else got more or less salmon for the same price? I'm beginning to think that there is true substance in this "big box" theory. People need to know what they are eating and what they are paying for. Exactly.
Well, I am going to commit to staying on that track the rest of the slide downhill to Wednesday. I don't have any parties to go to this week. I think when I do Round 2, I'm gonna make sure no one has anything to celebrate! :-D
What's the progress?
Even through the struggles noted above, the HCG protocol WORKS! I have lost weight and inches both that I thought I would never see leave. I didn't exercise as much as I did before the diet started. I need to get that back into place as I go into the Maintenance Phase this week. I do miss my Zumba class! During the protocol, you are not allowed to exercise beyond mild exercise such as walking for 30 minutes per day.
As of today, I have lost 20.2 pounds! I have lost 32 1/2 inches! I would say that this journey was definitely worth it. I am at a weight of 187.6, which I haven't seen the likes of since I married my husband almost 10 years ago! It is a WONDERFUL feeling. I have had plenty of energy along the way. I am LOVING that NONE of my clothes fit anymore ...not even my "skinny" clothes! So I might want to go grab a few things before I head off to our vacation in a couple of weeks.
I highly recommend the HCG Diet and following Dr. Simeon's protocol. I would venture to say that most people who are struggling with their weight DO have an imbalance in their brain that needs to be righted in order to get healthy again. It's not good to carry the weight around over the years. It will eventually wear on every major system in your body. Don't wait until it's too late. Check with your doctor or weight loss clinic today. Make sure they are offering the real deal.
I'll be checking back in as I finish my round on Wednesday. I plan to continue the blog through maintenance... maybe the rest of time ....whenever that is ....
'Til next time .... Just Let Go ... Edna
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Playing with fire?
Do bloggers do this every day? I have found it near impossible to get here every day. I do think about you all, and I'm sorry to have not updated this space for some time now! Wow, where has this month gone?
Well, last week my oldest daughter, Katie, graduated from Arizona State University. I am so very proud of her hard work and persistence to pursue higher education. She is a really smart cookie, and even received the honored cum laude recognition for maintaining a grade point average between 3.4 to 3.59!
We have also been preparing for our summer vacation. With gas prices, this is no simple feat! A great tool to use is Gas Buddy for up to date pricing anywhere in the US. They are also on Facebook! If you have a smartphone, you can also download a free app for your phone! What a convenient way to save some bucks while you are out there driving around!
Well, now that the fires are out, let's talk. Playing with fire is almost never a good idea. I have never been known to follow the rules....well, not exactly anyway! I'm a bit of a rebel. So then, when my doctor told me that I would have to follow the HCG rules exactly, what did I reply? Of course, I can do that!
Well, until you are in the throes of your situation, you never REALLY know what your actions might be. Like CHEATING. Yep, that's what I said. CHEATING. *Raising my hand ever so slowly* Yup. I. admit. it.
What has it cost me? Well, I don't know. I've see sawed. I've gained. (not much...but still). It's slowed down my progress. It's slowed my "elimination." Basically, I think it interferes with my whole process of the HCG weightloss.
Do I think I should throw in the towel? NO!!!! I have researched several sites on the web that do talk about cheating on the HCG Diet. I think there is some merit to what they say. BUT... I would NOT recommend intentionally cheating....OK....cheating IS intentional...it's not like we go ...oops...did NOT mean to pop that chip into my mouth! *GASP*
But this month I had several celebratory events to attend...one being my daughter's college graduation. We ordered a rum cake from Cathy's Rum Cake Caterers in Chandler, AZ. Cathy's cakes are to DIE for... or. CHEAT. .... on your HCG diet. Mind you ...I didn't have the ENTIRE slice! Moderation is key! I tasted a small "bite" of my slice, and I promptly put it into the freezer when we got home from the party so that I can enjoy this scrumptiously delicious treat during my HCG phase that allows me to imbibe with such a delectable treat!
I would be remiss without retelling on myself about the PEACH. No really, the peach. Not just any peach. A beautiful, juicy, delectable peach from OUR FAMILY TREE at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, AZ. We leased a peach tree this year from the Schenpf Family. I did not know then that I would be in the midst of my HCG journey. So here we are in May, and the peaches are ready. We go out for our first picking of the season. The peaches are DIVINE. I had it set in my mind that I would just wait. I can have peaches once I go into my maintenance phase. But let me tell you .... they are irresistable! So, just as Eve enticed Adam ...I succumbed also to the wonderful, peachy scent and feeling the soft, cuddly skin....ok...it really IS an emotional and spiritual experience! (for me anyway... ;-)) If you have not ever considered leasing a tree from Schepf Farms, I royally recommend it! They give you the VIP treatment like no other peach picker and you won't regret it!
We also celebrated my best friend's youngest son's first birthday. And, I had a going away party for a dear sweet friend from my homeschooling group. So yeah, there was a lot of EMOTION going on this month. And yup... I am an emotional eater! I have learned that more and more about why I eat as I've gone through this process over the past 5 weeks.
Wow...just over 1 week to go before I hit maintenance. Maintenance is a critical period of 3 weeks after your HCG protocol. This period will make or break your weight loss. I can assure you, my CHEATS will be few and far between!
So what are the stats? Well, I'm very excited!! I have lost almost 20 pounds and just over 30 inches! And, I still have a week to go!
My lowest weight so far has been 188.4. I was really excited to see that number as I can't recall the last time I saw that number in reference to my weight!! Mind ya...I'm up a pound to 189.4 today. Yep, those CHEATS will bite you somewhere! Today, I'm pretty sure it was my THIGHS as I gained a half inch there!
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| Edna (Me), Katie, Kenny (Katie's Dad) |
Well, last week my oldest daughter, Katie, graduated from Arizona State University. I am so very proud of her hard work and persistence to pursue higher education. She is a really smart cookie, and even received the honored cum laude recognition for maintaining a grade point average between 3.4 to 3.59!
We have also been preparing for our summer vacation. With gas prices, this is no simple feat! A great tool to use is Gas Buddy for up to date pricing anywhere in the US. They are also on Facebook! If you have a smartphone, you can also download a free app for your phone! What a convenient way to save some bucks while you are out there driving around!
Well, now that the fires are out, let's talk. Playing with fire is almost never a good idea. I have never been known to follow the rules....well, not exactly anyway! I'm a bit of a rebel. So then, when my doctor told me that I would have to follow the HCG rules exactly, what did I reply? Of course, I can do that!
Well, until you are in the throes of your situation, you never REALLY know what your actions might be. Like CHEATING. Yep, that's what I said. CHEATING. *Raising my hand ever so slowly* Yup. I. admit. it.
What has it cost me? Well, I don't know. I've see sawed. I've gained. (not much...but still). It's slowed down my progress. It's slowed my "elimination." Basically, I think it interferes with my whole process of the HCG weightloss.
Do I think I should throw in the towel? NO!!!! I have researched several sites on the web that do talk about cheating on the HCG Diet. I think there is some merit to what they say. BUT... I would NOT recommend intentionally cheating....OK....cheating IS intentional...it's not like we go ...oops...did NOT mean to pop that chip into my mouth! *GASP*
 |
| Katie's Graduation Cake |
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| The Smith Family (Katie not present) with our peach tree at Schnepf Farms |
We also celebrated my best friend's youngest son's first birthday. And, I had a going away party for a dear sweet friend from my homeschooling group. So yeah, there was a lot of EMOTION going on this month. And yup... I am an emotional eater! I have learned that more and more about why I eat as I've gone through this process over the past 5 weeks.
Wow...just over 1 week to go before I hit maintenance. Maintenance is a critical period of 3 weeks after your HCG protocol. This period will make or break your weight loss. I can assure you, my CHEATS will be few and far between!
So what are the stats? Well, I'm very excited!! I have lost almost 20 pounds and just over 30 inches! And, I still have a week to go!
My lowest weight so far has been 188.4. I was really excited to see that number as I can't recall the last time I saw that number in reference to my weight!! Mind ya...I'm up a pound to 189.4 today. Yep, those CHEATS will bite you somewhere! Today, I'm pretty sure it was my THIGHS as I gained a half inch there!
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| This is me about 1 week BEFORE I started the HCG Protocol |
 |
| Me and the kids picking peaches. Not quite an AFTER shot yet, but pretty good for Week 4 1//2! Those ARE my "skinny" shorts which were previously too tight to wear! WOOHOOO! |
But all in all...this process works! I should be home today and can adhere to my diet "rules" in a more behaved manner.
It's been a process to just let go ... of the weight ....of the emotional junk that binds me to eating ...of a lot of things.... but it is possible. When you keep your eyes set on the goal and you know that you are absolutely doing the RIGHT thing for your health, it gets you through the tough times. After all, MY reasons for doing this are BIG. If I'm healthy, I set a better example for my kids to follow, and I can be around here a lot longer to enjoy my family and friends!
'Til next time.... Just Let Go ... Edna
Monday, May 9, 2011
Where's the beef?
Writing is an art, and when you are just not feeling it ... I can't see the point. So I apologize for my delay in getting another snippet out to you all, but the last few days have just left me in bad spots off and on, and I'm not about spreading the negativity!
So onward with a positive note! It's Day 29, and I'm still losing weight! Yeah baby! Down to 191.6 today! I have lost a total of 16.2 pounds and 27.25 inches! I had gotten kind of stuck in a seesaw phase for three days where I'd lose it, put it back on....felt like a yoyo! That kind of threw my psyche for a loop (think walk the dog here...). However, I'm pretty sure that I know what happened.
I got myself in a pickle when I didn't keep up with my organization. This resulted in my having BEEF THREE meals in a row. Not a good thing and it goes against the protocol guidelines. In addition to it violating the protocol, I also know that according to the Blood Type Diet by the D'Adamo's, beef is not my friend being an A blood type. I didn't see these types of results when I minimized beef, and I followed the protocol strictly.
I have to openly admit that this last week has wreaked havoc on me mentally. Now, that's not necessarily attributable to the HCG protocol, and more to life's stresses at the moment. However, I have found that the stress has undermined my best intentions to stay organized and keep my meals planned. The stress has knocked off my sleep patterns, which in turn has moved me away from my "usual" time of administering my dosage of HCG. I don't know if these things are directly correlated with my having in-between hunger or not. But it was a force to reckon with this week. I've also seen myself make "tiny" cheats.
I'm not going to say that cheating was OK... BUT...I did manage those cheats, knowing that if I really just let myself go, I would undo EVERYTHING I've worked so hard to commit to during the last 30 days. Wow, 30 days! I had hardly thought about the length here until just now. So we are two-thirds down the journey here for this first segment.
Oh back to those cheats....it started with SIX little french fries...ok...they were the longer ones in the bunch, but you know! I found myself out to a meal with my family, and I was unprepared. I hadn't taken my HCG with me, stress was high, and I found myself incredibly hungry! And....I wasn't going to be back at home in order to rectify either of those situations within an hour. And...we were at In and Out Burgers. Not exactly a healthy fare, but I think their french fries are probably a bit healthier than some other fast food restaurants!
Most of the time if I know we will be out during a meal, I would have taken my meal with me or I plan to go to a location that I know I can modify something on their menu. For example, yesterday I chose to go to Wendy's because I know I can get a chicken salad there. Now, I had to skip out on most of the ingredients in the salad (and again, have to be honest injun here ....I did nibble on the blue cheese and dried cranberries ...just a little....and again....I only lost 0.6 pounds since yesterday...so that nibbling may have just been to my detriment of not seeing a healthier downward trend...just sayin!).
So onward with a positive note! It's Day 29, and I'm still losing weight! Yeah baby! Down to 191.6 today! I have lost a total of 16.2 pounds and 27.25 inches! I had gotten kind of stuck in a seesaw phase for three days where I'd lose it, put it back on....felt like a yoyo! That kind of threw my psyche for a loop (think walk the dog here...). However, I'm pretty sure that I know what happened.
I got myself in a pickle when I didn't keep up with my organization. This resulted in my having BEEF THREE meals in a row. Not a good thing and it goes against the protocol guidelines. In addition to it violating the protocol, I also know that according to the Blood Type Diet by the D'Adamo's, beef is not my friend being an A blood type. I didn't see these types of results when I minimized beef, and I followed the protocol strictly.
I have to openly admit that this last week has wreaked havoc on me mentally. Now, that's not necessarily attributable to the HCG protocol, and more to life's stresses at the moment. However, I have found that the stress has undermined my best intentions to stay organized and keep my meals planned. The stress has knocked off my sleep patterns, which in turn has moved me away from my "usual" time of administering my dosage of HCG. I don't know if these things are directly correlated with my having in-between hunger or not. But it was a force to reckon with this week. I've also seen myself make "tiny" cheats.
I'm not going to say that cheating was OK... BUT...I did manage those cheats, knowing that if I really just let myself go, I would undo EVERYTHING I've worked so hard to commit to during the last 30 days. Wow, 30 days! I had hardly thought about the length here until just now. So we are two-thirds down the journey here for this first segment.
Oh back to those cheats....it started with SIX little french fries...ok...they were the longer ones in the bunch, but you know! I found myself out to a meal with my family, and I was unprepared. I hadn't taken my HCG with me, stress was high, and I found myself incredibly hungry! And....I wasn't going to be back at home in order to rectify either of those situations within an hour. And...we were at In and Out Burgers. Not exactly a healthy fare, but I think their french fries are probably a bit healthier than some other fast food restaurants!
Most of the time if I know we will be out during a meal, I would have taken my meal with me or I plan to go to a location that I know I can modify something on their menu. For example, yesterday I chose to go to Wendy's because I know I can get a chicken salad there. Now, I had to skip out on most of the ingredients in the salad (and again, have to be honest injun here ....I did nibble on the blue cheese and dried cranberries ...just a little....and again....I only lost 0.6 pounds since yesterday...so that nibbling may have just been to my detriment of not seeing a healthier downward trend...just sayin!).
Speaking of seesaws, I think that my trend has been just that with the loss of inches. It seems that my body has redistributed the fat in a very seesaw-like manner. Much of that from early on I suspect was due to my adding in additional measurements in order to calculate my body fat and lean muscle mass percentages. But even still towards the end of that graph above, you can clearly see the same type of pattern. I'm just hoping the swing is up tomorrow!
And with that....I had better get that menu planned for this week! Where's the beef? Somewhere between Monday and Saturday ....just not three days in a row!
'Til next time ...Just letting go .....Edna
Thursday, May 5, 2011
It's been awhile since I was able to sit down and tap out anything reasonable to read. I mean, there's been progress, but life has just been soooo busy lately! So please forgive me for dropping the blog ball! Today is no different as we get ready to head out to our homeschool park day. I really enjoy getting to connect with all the other families in our group and the kids get to spend time with their friends outdoors. It's starting to heat up here in Arizona, so we start earlier in the day. That's not an easy feat for someone like me who is a night owl!
Speaking of being a night owl... I was up 'til midnight last night as I was on a mission to get some pictures of my Mom scanned so I could upload them for the Mother's Day celebration on Facebook. It has been a bittersweet journey to discover I even had pictures of my Mom with me. I lost my mom last year. It will be a year on May 27. The last time I recall talking to my Mom was on Mother's Day. So it's a pretty special moment for me. And she had called me, which was unusual as I usually beat her to the punch! I miss talking to her, but I'm glad she's not suffering any longer. My Mom has been the inspiration for my putting so much effort into getting myself to a healthier place and teaching my children to be healthy too. She was very unhealthy when she passed away. I treasure the time she had here with me, but I so wish I could have reached her with the important information I was learning.
During my doctor's visit yesterday, I shared my recurring leg cramps. The doc asked, "Are you taking the Emergen-C?" I replied that I hadn't been. I had not realized that I should be taking this daily, and I hadn't been able to find the "lite" version as she prescribed. So off I went to Trader Joe's after to pick some up. Well, mind you ... life got in the way once again, and I found myself going to bed at midnight and not having had the time to do the Emergen-C. The thought of having the leg cramps once again was enough to make me stay up all night. Instead, I drank the Emergen-C. Midnight (or any other bedtime) is probably NOT the best time to take this! I tossed and I tossed...and turned a few times too! It seems like it took me a couple of hours to finally go to sleep. It's is definitely not a bedtime tottie! BUT ...I also only had a very mild leg cramp last night!
My doctor explained that the leg cramps were most likely due to my losing too many electrolytes during exercise. I'm not exercising a lot, but I was pretty active before HCG. It's been a challenge to stay less active now. Prior to starting HCG, I LOVED going to Zumba at the YMCA. And, I have my garden. I have continued to garden as you all know. But recently, my two youngest have taken a liking to tennis. Now mind you, I'm not out there playing a full set of tennis ...in fact, I'm not sure I could ever do that! LOL Mostly, I chase tennis balls! But with this protocol, you do have to be careful about exercise. I'm going to have to look it up again to see if the concern is over building too much muscle through exercise or if it is due to breaking down your muscle and structural fat. The latter would certainly result in weight loss, but it wouldn't be good for your body.
Update on Stats
Since my last posting, I had actually lost another pound. However, since yesterday, I gained half of that back. So I'm sitting at 193.6, which is still less than I weighed before I became pregnant with my last child. So I'm still pretty happy about that. I'm not so grateful for the half pound gain. I think it had a lot to do with what I ate this week.
It's very important to follow the protocol diet very carefully. Now I didn't run out and have ice cream or pizza, though that has been tempting at times! What I did do is get myself in a pickle with my menu planning. I had let it slack and ended up having beef for three meals in a row and twice on one day! Not supposed to do that! Of course, I did not realize my error until I was serving up the beef on my plate for that third meal!
Given that beef is not supposed to be good for my A blood type anyway, I suspect my body has become overloaded. According to the Blood Type Diet theory, A types do not digest beef well at all. I suspect, it lodged on my hips in the half-inch gain I saw there this morning! So take care to plan your meals. Your body will thank you ...or not.
The good news is overall, I'm still losing weight and inches. If my clothes get any looser, I might just get arrested! Even my wedding ring is beginning to become too loose as it slides around my finger now when I type. It's amazing that only a few short weeks ago, I could not even wear my wedding ring because my hands were fatter and swollen with fluid all the time.
I'm on Day 25 of the diet, and I've lost almost 15 pounds and edging up to the loss of 26 inches overall! I'm excited about the inches part ...that's the part that makes you feel good! (well...me anyway :-D) I am feeling great through this process. I have plenty of energy to do the things I need to do and want to do. This is a plus... cuz if I had to just lay around, I would not be happy!
I'll try to keep up with blogging a little better so you can have it blow by blow ....but the pounds and inches are just literally melting away! I am so thankful to my doctor and Dr. Simeon's work with HCG.
'Til next time ... Edna
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| My Mom and I in the Julian Mountains near San Diego - 1989 |
During my doctor's visit yesterday, I shared my recurring leg cramps. The doc asked, "Are you taking the Emergen-C?" I replied that I hadn't been. I had not realized that I should be taking this daily, and I hadn't been able to find the "lite" version as she prescribed. So off I went to Trader Joe's after to pick some up. Well, mind you ... life got in the way once again, and I found myself going to bed at midnight and not having had the time to do the Emergen-C. The thought of having the leg cramps once again was enough to make me stay up all night. Instead, I drank the Emergen-C. Midnight (or any other bedtime) is probably NOT the best time to take this! I tossed and I tossed...and turned a few times too! It seems like it took me a couple of hours to finally go to sleep. It's is definitely not a bedtime tottie! BUT ...I also only had a very mild leg cramp last night!
My doctor explained that the leg cramps were most likely due to my losing too many electrolytes during exercise. I'm not exercising a lot, but I was pretty active before HCG. It's been a challenge to stay less active now. Prior to starting HCG, I LOVED going to Zumba at the YMCA. And, I have my garden. I have continued to garden as you all know. But recently, my two youngest have taken a liking to tennis. Now mind you, I'm not out there playing a full set of tennis ...in fact, I'm not sure I could ever do that! LOL Mostly, I chase tennis balls! But with this protocol, you do have to be careful about exercise. I'm going to have to look it up again to see if the concern is over building too much muscle through exercise or if it is due to breaking down your muscle and structural fat. The latter would certainly result in weight loss, but it wouldn't be good for your body.
Update on Stats
Since my last posting, I had actually lost another pound. However, since yesterday, I gained half of that back. So I'm sitting at 193.6, which is still less than I weighed before I became pregnant with my last child. So I'm still pretty happy about that. I'm not so grateful for the half pound gain. I think it had a lot to do with what I ate this week.
It's very important to follow the protocol diet very carefully. Now I didn't run out and have ice cream or pizza, though that has been tempting at times! What I did do is get myself in a pickle with my menu planning. I had let it slack and ended up having beef for three meals in a row and twice on one day! Not supposed to do that! Of course, I did not realize my error until I was serving up the beef on my plate for that third meal!
Given that beef is not supposed to be good for my A blood type anyway, I suspect my body has become overloaded. According to the Blood Type Diet theory, A types do not digest beef well at all. I suspect, it lodged on my hips in the half-inch gain I saw there this morning! So take care to plan your meals. Your body will thank you ...or not.
The good news is overall, I'm still losing weight and inches. If my clothes get any looser, I might just get arrested! Even my wedding ring is beginning to become too loose as it slides around my finger now when I type. It's amazing that only a few short weeks ago, I could not even wear my wedding ring because my hands were fatter and swollen with fluid all the time.
I'll try to keep up with blogging a little better so you can have it blow by blow ....but the pounds and inches are just literally melting away! I am so thankful to my doctor and Dr. Simeon's work with HCG.
'Til next time ... Edna
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