Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 181.4

Overnight Gain/Loss: -.8

HHCG: 18 drops 1 x daily (I’m trying out the higher dose again. No reason really… but OOPS, I missed my 2nd dose!)

Today has been a pretty good day. I’m happy that I lost .8 after a night of tennis, but I’m very cautious. Sometimes, it takes a few days for a stall to show up after exercise. We’ll see tomorrow! I uploaded my first YouTube video today. I hope you enjoy it. I don’t have a webcam, so still pic videos will have to do.

96% Lean Hamburger Patty with Grilled Onions and Melba Rounds

Of course, I’m in a pattern. I like to eat the same things, except I didn’t really want fruit for lunch. Dr. Simeons’ protocol says that you don’t have to eat everything. I had to make another trip to the grocery store for more fruits and veggies, too.

Grilled Asparagus with Strawberries, Melba Rounds, and No Bake Cottage Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Ah yes. There’s nothing like cottage cheesecake. Tonight I made a no bake cottage cheesecake  with Knox Gelatin instead of an egg white. It was very good. I think I might have to adjust the sweetness, though. This meal was extremely filling! I drank one Diet Pepsi with my dinner as well. I’m still drinking a gallon of water per day with only the occasional diet drink!

Here’s the usual breakdown-

Lunch:

100 grams of 96% lean ground beef (130 calories)

2 melba rounds (25 calories)

204 grams of onion (82 calories)

Lunch Total: 237 calories

Dinner:

113 grams of Daisy 2% cottage cheese (90 calories)

1/2 tsp. Knox Gelatin (5 calories)

209 grams of asparagus (42 calories)

275 grams of strawberries (88 calories)

Dinner Total: 250 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 487 calories

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : asparagus, beef, coffee, cottage cheese, ground beef, HHCG, onion, photos, strawberries, VLCD, water, weight loss

I uploaded my first YouTube video today. I hope you enjoy it.

Tags : Dr. Simeons, HHCG, phase 2, videos, VLCD, weight loss, YouTube

I had a rather horrible night tonight. My tennis league started this evening. My son and I played, and it was absolutely horrible for me. We had a 6:30 match, and it was HOT! I tried to prepare myself by eating oranges today, but it wasn’t enough. My body felt exhausted throughout the whole match. This is why the protocol does not recommend exercise while on the 500 calorie diet! Mondays will be rough for me. I have played tennis in the past, but it was at a later time (8 pm). At 6:30, it’s still very hot, and the tennis court is even hotter! When I raised my arms to hit a serve, I thought my muscles were going to die. I barely had the energy to lift up my arms. I will have to figure out some way to adjust to this situation during extremely hot hours. I may add more protein and drink orange juice throughout my match. I’ve drank orange juice during my games in the past, and it has helped keep my energy up. I don’t expect to lose after days of tennis, but I am not ready to quit phase 2 just yet.

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 182.2

Overnight Gain/Loss: +.2

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

Yep. I gained weight this morning! I’m not surprised. Sleep is SO important on any diet, and I did not sleep well at all. I woke up very early this morning, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. NOT GOOD. Hopefully, I will be back down tomorrow, but I played tennis tonight, so who knows…

Lean Hamburger wrapped in Romaine Lettuce with Orange Gelatin and Melba Rounds

My fruits of choice for the day were oranges while I was trying to prepare for tennis. My niece’s doctor told her that oranges were the best choice for sports (even better than any sports drink). I would definitely agree with that. I made an orange gelatine out of oranges, knox, and a little bit of sweetener. I ate it with a 96% lean hamburger patty wrapped in a few romaine lettuce leaves along with my two melba rounds. It was a nice change!

Cottage Cheese Protein Shake with Oranges and Melba Rounds

This was a very simple protein shake that I made with my handy Magic Bullet mixer. I blended up my allowed amount of cottage cheese with orange slices and some ice. I added approximately 2 tablespoons of splenda. I ate it with my two melba rounds. Not half bad for a cottage cheese shake! lol

Here’s my breakdown for the day-

Lunch:

100 grams of 96% lean ground beef (130 calories)

145 grams of oranges (68 calories)

1 packet of knox gelatine (20 calories)

33 grams of romaine lettuce (7 calories)

Lunch Total: 250 calories

Dinner:

133 grams of cottage cheese (129 calories) (I added more because of tennis- still not enough!)

228 grams of oranges (107 calories)

2 melba rounds (25 calories)

Dinner Total: 261 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 511 calories (still not enough for the tennis I played tonight!)

Water for the day= 1 gallon+ (not sure. I drank more due to tennis)

Tags : beef, coffee, cottage cheese, exercise, ground beef, HHCG, melba toast, oranges, phase 2, photos, romaine lettuce, sleep, splenda, tennis, VLCD, water, weight gain

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 182

Overnight Gain/Loss: -1.0 (yay!)

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

Lean Hamburger Patty with Onions, Apples, and Melba Rounds

Nice blurry pic. lol. I was in a hurry. Does this look familiar? Yep. I had the same thing yesterday. I had to make a shopping trip to the grocery store, so this is what I ate before I left. It was still good. Sometimes I eat the same thing just for the sake of convenience.

Chocolate Cottage Cheesecake with Orange Slices and Melba Rounds

I had my yummy chocolate cottage cheesecake once again. I will post a recipe soon. It’s getting a little better each time. I ate my cheesecake with oranges and a few pieces of melba toast. yum!

Here’s the daily breakdown-

Lunch:

100 grams of 96% lean ground beef (130 calories)

143 grams of onion (57 calories)

73 grams of apple (38 calories)

2 melba rounds (25 calories)

Lunch Total: 250 calories

Dinner:

113 grams of Daisy 4% cottage cheese (110 calories)

1/2 tsp. knox gelatin (5 calories)

1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. Hershey’s cocoa (13 calories)

2 melba rounds (25 calories)

206 grams of oranges (97 calories)

Dinner Total: 250 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 500 calories

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : apple, beef, cocoa, coffee, cottage cheese, ground beef, HHCG, melba toast, onion, oranges, phase 2, photos, VLCD, water, weight loss

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 183

Overnight Gain/Loss: -.4

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

Well, it looks like the scale is slowly starting to move again. We’ll see if it continues. I am very happy that I lost anything! My average is holding up at .58 per day (still above average for a woman)!

I did not use any coconut oil today. I don’t like to do it every day. The chocolate bark is so addicting. I don’t want to get into the habit of eating it on a daily basis.

Lean hamburger patty with grilled onions, apple, and melba rounds

I had a wonderful lunch which consisted of a grilled hamburger, grilled onions, an apple, and melba rounds. Yum!

Grilled chicken breast with onions, melba, and strawberries

This was my dinner, while the rest of my family ate Taco Bell. The tacos smelled so good, but I’m on a roll. There’s no stopping me right now! I love that I can fight those urges. It really doesn’t bother me! I would like to continue this round until I’m at the point of stalling or the hunger kicks in. So far so good. I haven’t been hungry, I have no desire for other food, and I’m still losing at a decent pace.

Lunch:

100 grams of 96% lean ground beef (130 calories)

2 melba rounds (25 calories)

98 grams – whole apple (51 calories)

101 grams of onion (40 calories)

Lunch Total: 246 calories

Dinner:

100 grams of chicken breast (114 calories)

2 melba rounds (25 calories)

130 grams of onion (52 calories)

198 grams of strawberries (63 calories)

Dinner Total: 254 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 500 calories

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : apple, beef, chicken breast, coffee, ground beef, HHCG, melba toast, onion, phase 2, photos, strawberries, VLCD, water, weight loss

Well, yesterday was VLCD 30, and I only lost .2 from the chocolate bark with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. I am doubling the recipe today to see what happens. hmmm…

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 183.4

Overnight Gain/Loss: -.2

Total Loss: 18.2 pounds in 31 days

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

Ah, the scale! It moves so slowly this week. Just out of curiosity, I measured myself, and I lost an inch off my waist in 5 days! Pounds AND Inches, people! The scale might not be moving, but my body is shaping itself! I’m still above the average 1/2 pound daily (.59/day). I made a double batch of chocolate bark with a total of 4 tablepooons of coconut oil. Stay tuned…

Chuck Steak with Breadstick, Strawberries, and Chocolate Bark

I decided to try a fattier beef today. Chuck is more calories and fat. I did try to cut off as much visible fat as possible. 100 grams is 222 calories, so it effects everything else that can be eaten. I chose to eat my breadstick and some strawberries, which caused me to go over some lunch calories for a grand total of 277 calories. I ate 1/2 of my double batch of chocolate bark (2 tbl coconut oil) with it as well. I don’t count the calories in the chocolate bark.

Tomatoes with Melba rounds, Strawberries, Chocolate Cottage Cheesecake, and Chocolate Bark

I was ready for some more cheesecake today, so I made a chocolate cheesecake. I will post the recipe once I have perfected it. It’s a work in progress. I had a whole tomato, some strawberries, and the other 1/2 of my double batch of chocolate bark (another 2 tbl of coconut oil).

When counting your calories, be sure to include everything that you use in a recipe. I used Hershey cocoa and knox gelatin for my chocolate cheesecake, and it added an extra 18 calories. Everything counts. The only exception that I make is when using the chocolate bark. I do keep track of the amount of coconut oil I have used, though.

Totals for the day-

Lunch:

100 grams of chuck steak (222 calories)

100 grams of strawberrries (32 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Lunch Total: 277 calories (+2 tbl. of coconut oil)

Dinner:

113 grams – 1/2 cup of Daisy 4% cottage cheese (110 calories)

1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. Hershey’s cocoa (13 calories)

1 tsp. of Knox Gelatin (5 calories)

100 grams of strawberries (32 calories)

2 Melba Rounds – Sea Salt (25 calories)

211 grams – whole tomato (38 calories)

Dinner Total: 223 calories (+2 tbl. coconut oil)

GRAND TOTAL: 500 calories (+4 Tbl. coconut oil)

Other: Coconut Oil Chocolate Bark (double batch) consisting of 4 Tbl. of coconut oil, 2 Tbl. of cocoa, and 1 tsp. of agave nectar

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : breadstick, chocolate bark, chocolate delights, chuck steak, cocoa, coconut oil, coffee, cottage cheese, HHCG, melba toast, phase 2, photos, pounds and inches, steak, strawberries, tomato, VLCD, water, weight loss

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 183.6

Overnight Gain/Loss: 0

Total Loss: 18 pounds in 30 days

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

Okay, so this is the 3rd day that I have either gained or stayed the same. This is a first for me. I am up a pound over the past 3 days, but it’s okay! There’s no room for freaking out on this diet. As long as we (women) are losing the average of 1/2 pound daily, then all is good. A loss of 18 pounds in 30 days is still an average of .6 per day. I am still above average!

I did decide to make my own version of the chocolate delight , though. I think I have created a tasty recipe that works for my family and me. After some experimentation, I came up with a wonderful version that we all like! For myself, I can only make enough for one day. Otherwise, I will end up eating the whole batch. See my VLCD 7 for THAT error! As of now, I am going to try 2 tablespoons of coconut oil daily to see how it affects my weight fluctuations, so stay tuned!

I had my usual coffee with splenda this morning. Of course!

Eye of Round Steak, Asparagus, Orange, and Breadstick

I decided to have some Eye of Round steak today. It was good. It’s a little higher in fat and calories, but I have adjusted my other food items. I had some asparagus, about 1/2 an orange, and my sesame breadstick.

I ate half of my batch of coconut oil chocolate bark after lunch.

Sliced Tomatoes with Salt and Pepper

I’ve had a craving for cheesecake, so I decided to make a Cottage Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce . It’s a bit time consuming, so I ate my tomatoes while waiting for it to cook. Then, I ate the 2nd half of my coconut oil chocolate bark ! yum!

Cottage Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Well, this was my dinner! I used 113 grams (1/2 cup) of cottage cheese, 1 egg white, 125 grams of strawberries, and my breadstick. I’m hoping to have a better picture next time. I was a bit impatient and didn’t let it cool completely before removing it from the ramekin and pouring the strawberry sauce on it. It was tasty anyway! In my own attempt to make a crust, I mixed up a breadstick with some splenda and a small amount of water. It ended up being a bit soggy at the bottom of the cheesecake, so I didn’t include it in my recipe. (Note: this is slightly off protocol because of the addition of an egg white.) My next venture might be some chocolate cottage cheesecake! yum!

Here’s my daily breakdown-

Lunch:

100 grams of eye of round (166 calories)

118 grams of asparagus (24 calories)

119 grams – 1/2 orange (56 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Lunch Total: 269 calories

Dinner:

113 grams (1/2 cup) of Daisy 4% cottage cheese- 110 calories

1 egg white (16 calories)

125 grams of strawberries (40 calories)

233 grams – whole tomato (42 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Dinner Total: 231 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 500 calories

Other: Coconut Oil Chocolate Bark consisting of 2 Tbl. of coconut oil, 1 Tbl of cocoa, and 1/2 tsp. of agave nectar.

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : asparagus, beef, breadstick, chocolate delights, cocoa, coconut oil, coffee, cottage cheese, eye of round, HHCG, off protocol, oranges, photos, plateau, steak, strawberries, VLCD, water

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 183.6

Overnight Loss/Gain: +.6

Total Loss: 18 pounds in 29 days

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

So, I gained again today, and it’s okay! In keeping track of my foods and weight fluctuations, this seems to be a normal pattern for me. If you are in the same situation and haven’t had a chance to read my previous blog entry, ” HCG Help! I Gained Weight on Phase 2! “, then I would suggest you start there. It explains a lot about plateaus and gains on this diet.

As usual, I had coffee w/ splenda for breakfast this morning. It’s a routine with me! It helps fill me up until lunchtime.

Chocolate Souffle Muffins with Salad, Strawberries, and Breadstick

I became an anti-meat person today. ha ha. I really needed a change. I made Mini Chocolate Souffle muffins and ate them with strawberries, a side salad with fat-free italian dressing, and a breadstick. It was delicious! Click here to view the recipe for mini chocolate souffle muffins . I think next time I will puree my strawberries and make a strawberry sauce to pour over the souffle. YUM!

Grape Tomatoes with Breadstick and Cinnamon Apple Pie with Cottage Cheese

Like I said, I was anti-meat today. I cut up several grape tomatoes and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I ate the tomatoes with my little sesame breadstick. I made a Cheesy Mock Apple Pie from 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1 apple, cinnamon, and truvia. It was a tasty little dessert. My cheesy mock apple pie recipe can be found here .

Here is today’s breakdown-

Lunch:

1 egg + 3 egg whites (118 calories)

194 grams of strawberries (62 calories)

2 Tbl. Wishbone Fat-Free Italian Dressing (15 calories)(not protocol)

110 grams of iceberg lettuce (20 calories)

1 Tbl. cocoa (15 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Lunch Total: 253 calories

Dinner:

113 grams (1/2 cup) Daisy 4% cottage cheese (110 calories)

288 grams of grape tomatoes (52 calories)

120 grams – whole apple (62 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Dinner Total: 247 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 500 calories (even!)

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : apple, breadstick, cherry tomatoes, cocoa, coffee, cottage cheese, eggs, HHCG, iceberg lettuce, off protocol, phase 2, photos, salad, strawberries, VLCD, water, weight gain

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 183

Overnight Loss/Gain: +.4

Total Loss: 18.6 pounds in 28 days

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

I gained today! I’m not really stressing out over it, though. It could be anything that caused me to gain. I didn’t finish drinking my water until late last night. It caused me to get up in the middle of the night, so my sleep was interrupted. I had steak twice yesterday, which could be another potential problem. I have never had a problem eating beef for two meals, but steak twice in one day might be another story. I also had two tablespoons of fat-free italian dressing and some fat free croutons that are not on protocol, but I did count the calories. It could have been the fact that I played tennis two days ago, and it’s just catching up with me. It could have been any of those things. I’m not going to worry about it and just keep going!

Chicken Salad with Diced Apple and Celery

So, for lunch today I made a mock chicken salad sandwich. This first picture shows my concoction all mixed up. I used 100 grams of grilled chicken, 1 whole apple, and 1/3 stick of celery. I chopped up the ingredients to a fine consistency and added salt and pepper.

Mock Chicken Salad Sandwich on Lettuce with Breadstick

I scooped the chicken salad into a few leaves of iceberg lettuce and wrapped it up like a sandwich. I ate a breadstick with it, and it made a very filling meal. It was very good! This was just slightly off protocol. You are not supposed to mix vegetables.

Grilled Chicken with Asparagus, Strawberries, and Breadstick(not shown!)

My dinner consisted of grilled chicken with a ton of asparagus, strawberries, and a breadstick. Of course, I forgot to add my breadstick before taking the picture! lol

Lunch:

100 grams of chicken breast (114 calories)

126 grams – whole apple (71 calories)

20 grams – 1/3 stalk of celery (3 calories)

107 grams of iceberg lettuce leaves (17 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Lunch Total: 223 calories

Dinner:

100 grams of chicken breast (114 calories)

200 grams of asparagus (40 calories)

302 grams of strawberries (97 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Dinner Total: 274 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 497 calories

Water for the day= 1 gallon

Tags : apple, asparagus, breadstick, celery, chicken breast, HHCG, iceberg lettuce, off protocol, phase 2, photos, strawberries, VLCD, water, weight gain

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 182.6

Overnight Loss/Gain: -1.2 (I’m shocked!)

Total Loss: 19 pounds in 27 days!

HHCG: 15 drops 2 x daily

I woke up this morning and stepped on the scale. I got a nice little surprise. I was not expecting to see such a huge loss. I wasn’t even sure if I would lose anything today since I played tennis last night! It was very exciting. I started out my day with my usual coffee and splenda.

Sirloin Tip Steak with Grilled Onions and Breadstick

For lunch, I ate 100 grams of sirloin tip steak, 1/2 of an onion that was grilled on my George Foreman grill, and a breadstick.

Sirloin Tip Steak on Iceberg Lettuce with Fat Free Croutons Dressing and Cinnamon Apples

I can’t seem to get enough steak lately. I love steak when it’s cooked just right. I decided to put it on my salad tonight. I had 100 grams of sirloin over iceberg lettuce with 2 Tablespoons of Wishbone Fat-Free Italian Dressing (15 calories), fat-free croutons (25 calories), and a baked apple covered with cinnamon and truvia.

Lunch:

100 grams of sirloin tip steak (140 calories)

159 grams – 1/2 onion (64 calories)

1 sesame breadstick (23 calories)

Lunch Total: 227 calories

Dinner:

100 grams of sirloin tip steak (140 calories)

126 grams – whole apple (66 calories)

150 grams iceberg lettuce (27 calories)

2 Tbl Wishbone Fat-Free Italian Dressing (15 calories) (*not on protocol- see note below)

7 grams Rothbury Farms Fat-Free croutons (25 calories)(*not on protocol- see note below)

Dinner Total: 273 calories

GRAND TOTAL: 500 calories

Water for the day= 1 gallon

*Just a quick note: The salad dressing and croutons are not on protocol; however, I do add the proper calories. The potential problem that I see with the salad dressing is that it contains a small amount of sugars (2 grams) per serving. I have used it on this diet, and I haven’t had a problem with it. I don’t use it very often, though. If you try this dressing and find yourself stalling or gaining, then don’t use it.

The croutons have the same potential to be a problem. However, they are only 25 calories for one serving, which equals 7 grams(approximately 20 croutons). There is also a small amount of sugar in this item, but the amount per serving equals zero. Try at your own discretion.

Tags : apple, beef, breadstick, coffee, HHCG, iceberg lettuce, off protocol, onion, phase 2, photos, salad, sirloin steak, steak, VLCD, water, weight loss