Maintenance

So I've really been enjoying maintenance!  And I'm under my last drop day weight by 2 lbs :D.
Three fun things that I've experienced on maintenance are this:
1) I went clothes shopping for Easter and I got a smaller size of clothing off of the rack thinking that it should be about the correct size because I didn't actually know what size I was...but I was a little concerned that it would be too small...IT WAS TOO BIG! :D So I went down 3 sizes in my first round :D.
2) We moved and in that I sorted through both my husband and my clothing!  We tried on every piece of clothing we owned...and SO MUCH of it was swimming on us.  It was super fun.
3) I have had a big box of clothes that I have kept of clothes that used to fit me.  I kept the classy stuff that never goes out of style.  Anyway, went to try them all on and found that 75% of them either fit me or were too big! :D YAY.

We have really worked at changing our eating patterns and you know what I've been noticing on maintenance?
1) I crave things like an apple and cheese for a snack. I used to be a real bread and pasta kind of girl.  I also love raisins, pecans, and chocolate chips for a snack (all organic and the nuts raw of course :D)
2) yesterday was my daughter's birthday and I had a bite of cake...didn't even taste that good to me...and I really didn't like the sugar.
3) we really really notice when we don't eat organic.  Even the kids notice. Their tummies don't like it.
4) I've been making a smoothie every morning out of coconut milk (my new fav), whole orange (minus skin), carrot, kale, and a frozen berry (raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and/or blackberry) mmmmmmm SO GOOD!
5) I have always stayed far away from dairy products.  My body does not like them so much. However, I have been trying raw cheeses and organic cheeses, yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and cream for my coffee. Not one problem  In fact my body LOVES them.
6) I have noticed that if I eat organic...I mean bread, meat, cheese (nothing low fat)...as long as it's organic...I do not gain any weight...I even lose some. However, if I eat the same items only not organic I gain weight like it's going out of style.
7) not to push the whole organic thing but I never used to eat apples because they made me sick to my stomach not I eat organic apples all the time and kind of crave them even.  It really is a very interesting thing.

We both feel so good! I've been walking the dog at the dog park twice a day and loving it.  I can feel that my stride is stronger and I don't get tired as easily.  I have way more energy.
Really...it's all good. Well worth it.
My perspective on food has changed too. Don't get me wrong...Food still HAS to taste good or there is not point in eating it but I have broadened my tastes and I eat less food but much better quality food and really enjoy what I'm eating.
Have you ever noticed that when you are full food doesn't actually taste good. And since I'm eating food that my body recognizes as food the cravings are not there.  LOVE IT!

End of round 1of HCG

So today (after 4 days of staying relatively the same weight) I have decided to end my first round 3 days early. That and we are moving on Saturday and I need to have energy for that day.
 Today I am still on the 500 calorie part minus the drops.  So far so good.  I've been packing away with no problems.  Still drinking my yerba mate tea with Tazo Passion tea and some stevia mmmm yummers
So as of today I have lost 26.6 pounds in 37 days. I am pleased with that. My husband ended his round 1 last Friday.  He lost had lost 34 lbs so he needed to stop.
We went shopping and got ready for maintenance on Monday.  We have made our own butter and as of 6 pm tonight our homemade creme fresh (a better version of sour cream) will be ready!  Mmmmmmm. We bought some raw whole milk and cream when we went shopping, We are looking forward to seeing how our bodies respond to this dairy without pasteurization and chemicals in it!
I'll have to get some before and after pictures up after the move.
It's been a good round.  There were a couple of tough days but over all we are both very pleased.  I have at least 2 more rounds to do...and that puts me at reaching my goal weight near Christmastime.  I'm excited. My husband will likely do another 1/2 round and then he will be at his goal weight.
On maintenance we plan on working out to tone and strengthen.  We also plan on continuing our organic quest. :).

Apple Chips

So this week I've been experimenting with making apple chips.  Yesterday I finally got it (by following my husband's added directions from the cookbook (The HCG Diet Gourment Cookbook). A side note of HCG cookbooks...one listed above is the one that I have found that follows the diet exactly and doesn't add things that one shouldn't eat...as this is an exact science and cheating really sets you back about 5 days and you only have 40 to begin with...this cookbook has been invaluable to us.
Ok so back to the super duper yummy apple chips.
I peeled the organic apples and then I cut them in very thin slices around the core (so on all 4 sides).  I heated the oven to 230 degrees F. Put the apples on culinary parchment paper and sprinkle with Cinnamon.  I had added stevia to my last batch but we found it better without.  Then I baked the apples for about and hour and 15 minutes. I checked them every 15 minutes.  Let them cool...they get crispier as they cool.
ENJOY! I'll have to take a picture and add it later when I do the next batch.  

Down a clothing size

I'm at 24 lbs lost and my darling husband is at 32 lbs lost.  I am getting rid of clothes that are swimming on me and is he :D. It's FUN!  We have a week and a day left of the protocol and then we head into maintenance.  The day we start maintenance is the day we move! Should be interesting.  Anyway, we are now visually starting to see the difference as are other people.  It seemed to take 20 lbs before that happened for both of us.  We both feel good!
So cheers to keeping on keeping on.                  

Starting Week 4!

Tomorrow we begin week 4.  My husbands has lost 25 lbs and I have lost 17 lbs.  Yay us!  It's funny (somewhat) everyone notices his loss and not many say anything about me looking different.  And it's true. I can see (from my before pics) that I look different...but really I gain and lose weight evenly...but the scale and measurements don't lie...it is indeed going going gone! AND I started with 3 times more to lose!
So far this journey has been good...it's really more of a mental game. I have ended up cooking 2 meals...one for us and one for our children. Our eldest mentioned to me the other day that she would like to eat what we are eating so now I am trying that with adding some sort of carbs and fat.  So far there haven't been any massive complaints.  You do spend a lot more time cooking.  BUT that is okey dokes with me.  I am trying to double up recipies and have some stuff pre-cooked and stocked in the freezer because we are moving in a few weeks and we don't want to fall off the wagon so to speak. It's funny, making pasta I can't taste it to see if it's cooked, lick my finger to see how this or that tastes...it's an interesting challenge to ALWAYS be aware of what is going into your mouth. We both do those things without even thinking.  It's just what you do! Well what we did...not right now. I often have to ask for help from the girls.  We also have had guests over and we cook what we can eat (like we had a buffalo roast and asparagus) but then we added normal things for everyone...like yesterday I made chocolate chip cookies and and the girls and our guests had homemade ice cream sandwiches...the ice cream from Marble Slab...BUT we did not even have one taste or a desire really...it's a slippery slope and we are focused!
We have not been hungry (past the first week and a half).  I think that hunger had more to do with our bodies coming off of sugar and carbs more than that we were hungry. Eating is a habit...a necessary habit but a habot none the less.  People are funny. They always feel badly if we cannot eat something yummy.  We tell them to enjoy freely!  We are perfectly fine.  If we start to feel hungry we know it's time for another round of drops and then it's all good :).
It's a precise science so you can't mess with it....or it can stop you from losing weight for up to 5 days! That's a massive amount of time when you  are only on for 40 days.    We both have hit plateaus (where you don't lose anything for a few days). THAT IS EXASPERATING! In fact this last week I only lost a few pounds THE WHOLE WEEK!
I ordered some cookbooks on-line for the low cal part that we are currently on. My challenge is to keep the food tasting good and not let it get BORING...thus the cookbook. So far the best cookbook that I could find that sticks very closely to what Dr. Simeon outlined is the HCG Diet Gourmet Cookbook. So far everything I've made from it has been very tasty and definitely not boring. Spices, my friend, are the key!
It's interesting how many people do this diet not really trying to change their eating habits but trying to get away with food that are less calories but don't really feed the body.  We are really making a massive effort to change our ways completely!  We have been trying to switch (as much as is possible) to organic.  We read A LOT of labels.  We've been educating ourselves and working really hard to not just make this about losing weight but about a lifestyle change. We don't want to do this again.  We are going to be healthy people.
We have 2 and a bit weeks left on the low calorie part and then it's maintenance.  I would like to AT LEAST hit the 25 lbs gone mark.
Yesterday my darling husband discovered that if you blend frozen strawberries, water, vanilla bean powder, and stevia together it makes a YUMMY shake! I have been enjoying this only I put dark chocolate stevia in mine mmmmmmmm.
We are excited about all of these changes.  

HCG Round 1 day 2 of low calorie phase

So the last 2 days haven't been that bad.  I do feel hungry but I only really notice it when I am not going like a mad person.  If I stop for a second the strangest thoughts of food pop into my head...mostly sweets.  The girls had a quite time today and I took the opportunity to rest and read myself. Normally I would get a little sweet snack at this time or have coffee and savor the silence and peace.  Instead I made lemonade with fresh squeezed lemons and Stevia.  It was quite good and I really enjoyed it...but I still missed my sweet snack.
Yesterday for lunch we had shrimp, asparagus, 1 Melba toast, and an orange for lunch. DH put the Bragg vinegar on the asparagus and surprisingly it was very good!   For supper we made a chili from tomato paste, fresh cut tomatoes, ground beef, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper. It was super yummy.
For lunch today we had a spinach and chicken salad. DH made an amazing salad dressing with the Bragg apple cider vinegar, Bragg Amino sauce, fresh sweet basil, Stevia, salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon juice. It was yummers.
I spent most of the day yesterday shopping for allowable foods and reading labels for things like lotion and shampoo, and spices. Then I came home and portioned out the meat and veggies into 3.5 ounce portions. I put them in Ziploc and the meat into the freezer. It should last a couple of weeks.
We are still taking our multi vitamin, a liquid Vit B Complex, potassium pills, and a cal/mag with Vit. D in it.  We both feel good as long as we stick to the schedule and don't miss drops or have a meal late and keep drinking.
DH lost 3.6 lbs! I lost 1.4 lbs.  Cheers to that!
We have made a few videos and I'll get those up soon-ish.
I have to say that my gut is very happy.  :).  So 38 more days to go.  And so far so good.  

Today is the Day (Day 1 of HCG "fat loading")

Well today we officially started the HCG diet. We (my husband and I) are disgustingly overweight...well I am anyway. So I thought I would journal the journey. I think it's important to do that. So yes there will be before and after pictures.

I have 90 pounds I am going to lose. He has 30. I think it will take me a little longer. What do you think? ;-)

So on this diet the first 2 days are called "fat loading days". You start taking the drops and you eat as many high fat calories as you can possibly stand...I'm not doing very well so far...only McD's for lunch. GROSS but high fat. It's an important part of the diet they say. I also got some "no oil" make-up and face cream so I could still look human.

We have done cleanses. I did 2. I did a liver cleanse and that was killer. I was exhausted while doing that. I also did a heavy metals cleanse. That one, for me, as not so bad. I am going to through a naturopath. He is not. We'll see how it goes.

Anyway, I am excited! to. start. the. next. phase. YAY!

It's funny because we are changing so many areas of our lives...this is the last "fat" weekend". We are getting rid of our too expensive car next week and that will be a big step towards getting us out of debt. We are getting rid of clutter around the house. We are in the middle of revamping the business. So many changes. All so very good...and also very painful all at the same time.

In the end...it will be worth it!

So here we gooooooooooooooooo.