R4 P2 D5-7

Things are going fantastic this round!! I'm loving how much energy I have. Yoga is a must do during this eating plan. Also, I did my first wrap yesterday. I bought bentonite clay and used it with a sauna suit. Lost 6 1/2 inches during this one session. I have enough for 3 more before my summer Cali trip in June. After I finish this round of HCG I'm going to follow it up with a second BFL round. I'm on day 73 of 90 today of this current round. I'm taking a really great vitamin this time and it really helps my hunger. I'm not really too hungry. If I feel hungry at all I eat a couple of strawberries or apples slices. I have found that it helps me to cut up my apple in the morning and keep it in the fridge in case I need a filler during the day. If I don't then I eat it before bed. The Walden Farms products are saving my booty this round. I love them. The hardest thing for me is doing without condiments. These are zero calorie and everything. The marshmallow cream with a little chocolate drizzle on strawberries is like heaven in a bowl. I'm staying between 500-600 calories each day.

Current loss this round is 6 pounds. I'm not counting the 5 pds I was up after 2 days of free eating (gorge days). That just made me feel gross. I don't eat that way ever anymore.

I'm 24 pounds away from my dream goal! Yippee!

BFL Day 27 of 84 - Hit a Road Bump but Moving On!

This weekend I enjoyed my free day. Hubby and I didn't go crazy and we actually worked out for 2 1/2 hours on Saturday morning. That night we went for Mexican food and enjoyed every minute of it. Sunday we took the kids to Hurricane Harbor. The temptations were almost too much but we both stayed on track. To help curve the anticipated snack desires we had lunch on the way. We had packed our bag full of waters and I put some sliced turkey and cheese sticks in the bag for a snack. I was starving when we left so when we stopped to get the kids Wendy's I ordered a side salad to suffice until I got home. I left chicken cooking in the crockpot with water chestnuts and a mango sauce on top so we could eat it with some baby carrots. I was so glad I thought ahead because being in the sun all day made me too tired to cook.

Monday and Tuesday have been full of cravings for me. I'm staying on track but it is hard. I made the mistake of weighing this morning and was up .6 pounds. That bummed me out BIG TIME! I am doing everything right but the weight isn't budging. This morning I was so tired that I didn't get up for the gym. I almost skipped today but pulled myself out of the rut and had a kick butt workout tonight. I get a pat on the back for going to the gym in 108 degree weather. Actually, I was shocked at how many people were at the gym at 6pm at night. It was motivating! But, I will, I WILL get up in the morning and not put myself through that heat again. I did 20 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill and worked my legs. I'm excited to see major definition. Since I wanted to get the most out of my evening workout I did supersets of the exercises. Tried some new things tonight like V-squats and increased my lunges to using weights while doing them. If only I can get over the weight obsession in my head. Hubby told me today that he thinks I'm looking great and he sees major muscles popping out in my shoulders, legs, and back. I know I expect a lot of myself and need to accept slow and steady will get the longest term results. I was pep talking myself today at the gym that I'm not in a race for anything or with anyone so I need to enjoy the process. I'm gonna work on this as a new mental goal.

I did one little splurge tonight. Today on the radio I heard the DJ say that it is National Ice Cream Sandwich day. All I could think about the rest of the day was having an ice cream sandwich. So, while stopping to pick up a few last minute things for vacation next week I checked the freezer section. I found Almond Dream bars that were 100 calories. After I ate my taco salad tonight I went for a second walk to try to burn a few extra calories before splurging. It isn't like the scale is showing my progress anyway but I'm not going to make this a regular thing. I can't!

Moving On Past My Splurge and Scale Battle,
Amber

R2 P2 D28-32 - If I can do this, anyone can!

R2 P2 D28-32 - If I can do this, anyone can!
The weight is still coming off. It is coming off much slower but I've only been weighing every few days instead of every day. Here is my current loss to date.

Day 28, 29, 30 - no weigh in
Day 31 -.6
Day 32 -1.4
Day 33 -0
Day 34 - 1.8
Total in 7 days -3.8, Round 2 Total -25.2, Total with HCG since Oct 2010 - 42.8

I'm thrilled with the results. I have 6 more HCG days plus 3 more with 500 calories. If I can lose just 5 more pounds in that time I will be 10 pounds away from my ultimate goal. That is amazing! I'm in range for my height on the medical chart now since I'm 5'8". That is exciting! I want to be at 145 but it isn't going to happen this round. But with 5 more pounds I can be 155 and that would be fabulous!

I have been using a willpower of steel to overcome any and all desire for comfort food and boredom eating. We have been forced to stay at home the last 3 day because of ice. Our driveway and the slope in front of the house will not let me leave to go anywhere. It is driving me crazy. I did create a really good ground turkey chili that I have enjoyed as a comfort food during this time. Being unable to go to the store was killing me because I haven't had any apples or mineral water. It is hard to drink Apple Cider Vinegar without the mineral water. A friend was able to get out today and got me 3 apples and 3 bottles of mineral water at the store. YAY! I'm set until Saturday at least. Surely, I can get out by then. I'm going crazy to be able to workout! I NEED THE GYM!

I just now created a page for my photos of the before and after. It's on the side of my page. http://foreverovercomingfood.blogspot.com/p/new-me.html If I'm brave enough at the end of 40 days, I will put the ones with my front, back and side views in my sports bra and shorts...we will see...

If I can do this, anyone can!

R2 D22-27 - My time flies!

I forgot to blog the last few days. I've been fighting a cold and experiencing TOM. Between those things and doing the discipline of the HCG diet I've been pushing myself to accomplish everything. Here are my weight loss results to date.

D23 -.2
D24 -1.6
D25 -.4
D26 -.4
D27 -1.6

Total of -4.2 This brings me to a total of 22.0 lost. I have 13 more injections to go and 16 more days of 500 calories. I can't wait to get to eat cheese again!! Because I was having such a slow few days I researched online and did start eating 3 macadamia nuts each day from day 22-26. Yesterday, I skipped the them and then had a big drop this morning. I've eaten only authorized foods every day with no cheating on anything. I am doing the ACV tonic before each meal now too. I also went back to cycle and sitting 15 min in the sauna yesterday and am off TOM as of this morning. YAY! I had really hoped to lose a pound a day through this round but it hasn't happened. I'm grateful for what I have lost though. Dreaming big if I could just have 10 more pounds off though I would be so happy. Can't wait to get on Phase 3 and start weight lifting and turning myself into a lean mean fighting machine!

R2D17-19 - I Feel Fabulous!

The last three days have been extremely busy. I stalled for the 3rd day in a row on D17. I lost 1.7 pounds on day 18 but didn't weigh in today. I know I'm losing again though. My clothes are all loose. This morning I went to spin at 5:45am and that is why I didn't weight. On Day 18 I tried out a Latin Heat dance aerobic class at the gym and LOVED it!! I am def going to go back. My meals the last couple of days have been really light and I haven't been hitting 500 calories. Today, I ate the last of my frozen meatballs with marinara, 2 apples, scrambled eggs with dill and a piece of melba toast. I can't wait to see what the scale shows in the morning!!

R2P2D10 - 10 pounds in 10 days ROCKS!

Day 8 - I went a little crazy on Saturday. I love the rush of working out. So, I did an hour spin class, 30 min of weight training and sat 15 min the sauna. Let's just say that doing that much on 500 calories IS NOT RECOMMENDED! You would think I would know better but nope. I had to rest most of the day. I haven't increased my calories inspite of working out but haven't been hungry either. I know it is because of the supplement I'm taking.

Day 9 - Sunday brought a big challenge to me. We went on a day trip and on the way my family stopped to eat Taco Bell. I had planned ahead and brought a cooler with a garlic seasoned grilled chicken tenderloin and ziplock of celery. Sitting in the car eating my little meal and watching them eat made me feel mad inside...lol - I realized I can't be mad at myself for needing to lose weight. I have to continue taking control and making the difference in my life one step at a time.

Day 10 - My stomach looks so flat, I can't believe it! This morning my hubby said if I keep losing weight I will look like I'm going to blow away. haha - I wish I looked that way. At my dental office the girls said I looked great. Comments like these are HUGE motivators. Each day is a challenge but is worth every minute of the journey! Today, I didn't even need the supplement to help with hunger. Am doing just fine without it. I didn't go to cycle class this morning because my back is hurting a lot right now. I'm not sure what I did but I figured I better take it easy to avoid further pain. I didn't have a loss on the scale this morning....It feels so weird to be upset that in one day there was no change or loss on the scale. The thing is, I know what happened to cause a stall today. I used a gel pack on my back for pain yesterday. I was concerned but did it anyway because I wanted relief before acting class. Oh well, there is always tomorrow for more of a loss.

Never give up on your dreams you might just be one day away from success!! I'm asking to God to help me have the strength and rejoicing daily when I see results.

On the Road Again! ~ R2P2D7

I'm feeling fabulous on this round. I completed my two loading days on the 30-31st and started the 500 calories on Jan 1. There are a few things I'm doing different this round. Major difference is that I am taking a supplement that is helping cut down on my hunger and has majorly increased my energy level. I've lost 8 pounds in 7 days. Another big change is that I'm working out this round. I have been doing an intense cycle class at 5:45am on M,W,F and 9:15 on Saturday the last few weeks and have kept it up on the HCG diet. Amazingly, I am sustaining the workout just fine. Doing this second round is much easier than the first round. I know the foods I like the best and am sticking to them. I made several serving of my favorite meal and am eating it often. It seems to help if I cook ahead and freeze ziplock bags of my meals. My favorite meal is meatballs with a tomato marinara. Yummy! I will post the recipe below so you can try it if interested. A pound of ground beef makes around 6 meals.

On the last round I cheated on Phase 3 and didn't stick to it for 21 days. Because of it I didn't stabilize and gained back 7 pounds. Thankfully, that is all off now! My plan this round is to go 40 days and then stick to the 21 days of Phase 3 faithfully! I love this diet!! Can't wait for the results and the bikini I will be able to wear this summer!!

Meatballs -
100 grams ground beef (I use lean grass fed)
grind 1 piece of melba toast or breadstick in food processor
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of italian seasoning
...Mix it all together and make 4-5 small meatballs - bake on 400 for about 15 min.

Marinara - Cut a tomato in half and remove the seeds. Place the two halves down and put it in the oven on broil until the skin peels up and gets black. Remove from oven and remove peeling. Smash the tomato up in a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of italian seasoning, garlic and 5 drops of plain stevia. Microwave it for 1 min.

It really is so yummy! It is my favorite to fix next to a shake and bake style chicken where I grind the melba toast, season it and coat my chicken before baking it for 20 min. YUM!

HCG R1P2D24-26 I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Honestly, I'm waivering with staying on the 500 calories. The days are getting longer. The more active I am the harder it is for me to stay focused on the VLCD. I went to a Fall Festival last night and the kettle corn, cotton candy, chickfila sandwiches, ect were SCREAMING my name. I had an apple in my purse, THANKFULLY! But, I did take three bites of my daughter's kettle corn. YIKES! I didn't see any scale increases though. On day 23 the 3 pounds of water weight came off. Today, I was down another .5. My current weightloss is 22 pounds. That is pretty amazing! The really challenge is going to come this weekend while at my parent's house in Oklahoma. We are going to have a bonfire and cookout and I'm going to feel like I'm missing out when I don't eat any smores or hot dogs. I keep telling myself it is going to be worth it in the end.

My water intake is still up but the desires to have carbs and/or sweets is causing me lots of grief. Tonight, my family ordered chinese and I did eat 2 chicken teriyaki sticks with grilled onion. I think it was in my calorie range and I stayed with the right food intake but I didn't cook it myself so I don't know if there were any hidden calories in the sauce. I really hope not now that I've already eaten it. I've giving myself a big pat on the back for staying away from the lomein, sweet & sour chicken and budlight my hubby was having while sitting beside me.

Yesterday, I had to walk a lot for a benefit fair I was hosting with my job and it wore me out. I know it is the VLCD that is keeping my energy low. I slept yesterday afternoon when I got home. Woke up today with a headache (really bad one) and ended up sleeping almost 12 hours. After another fair today I went back to bed with this migraine style headache. Headaches and fatigue cause me to fight my own goals towards staying on this plan. If it continues I'm going to start Phase 3 sooner than planned. I'm gathering recipes and ideas for how to eat with no starch and sugars. Can't wait to get to that level!!

I think I can, I think I can.......