Monday, March 8, 2010

R1P3D5-Another Steak Day

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain 1.5
Weight above LIW 2.2
Current Weight 161.6

So I am definitely not getting the hang of this P3 yet :(. Yesterday, I ate what I thought was pretty clean, but when I look back, maybe I did not eat enough calories. Let me figure it out here:

Water: 3L
Tea: One cup senna with chamomile at bedtime

Breakfast: chorizo, bite of mashed cauliflower, approx 300 calories

Lunch: 5 oz. Burger with one piece of cheddar cheese, two small pieces of bacon, piece of cheese with onions off the top of a flatbbread pizza, small mixed green salad, one piece bibb lettuce
Approximately 570 calories

Dinner: 1 piece chocoperfection bar (had to try it-yummy!), 3 spoons of P2 chili with lots of veggies, as noted in yesterday's post, 3 pieces of chicken skin and 1.5 oz of roasted chicken (did the chicken on the rotisserie, and it was delicious!), 1 oz of choco crack (yuck!!!) which is just coconut oil mixed with unsweetened cocoa and a little stevia.
Approximately 340 calories.

Snacks throughout day: Ate a little of the veggies I was cutting up throughout the morning, mainly red and yellow peppers and some celery: approx 50 calories.

Please note that I only ate when I was hungry...i was not hungry late in the day, and thus didnt eat too much.  I was trying to go with my gut instinct...

For a grand total of 1260 calories, or about 300 less than I should be getting (but thats not a ton, since my low range starts at about 1200 per SPARKpeople).

It could also be the fact that I ate after 7pm (the chicken and the chocolate was consumed about 8:30pm), or that I didn't get enough fat?

What do you think when you look at that menu? Any tips or advice?

I'm going to do the steak day today (might as well go to the butcher and get a bunch of them), and then eat clean tomorrow...P2 foods with some added fat...maybe some olive oil and Ill start my fish oil supplementation again, and let you know how that goes. Ive read that most people don't stabilize until the end of the 3 weeks, but I hope thats not the case for me...I really want to make this work and not have to re-lose pounds Ive already released.

And I want this stress headache to go away as well...

Sunday, March 7, 2010

More P3 recipes and links

Low carbs recipes:
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/dessert_recipes.html

And thanks to Missy Graham for the following:

Low Carb White Castle Casserole


Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonaise (sugar free)
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
dill pickle slices, for topping make sure they are sugar free
mustard, for topping

Brown the hamburger the chopped onion, drain fat and season to taste with salt
and pepper. put meat in a greased 9-10 inch pie plate, or a square pan.

Stir in half the cheese, then top with remaining cheese.

Beat eggs, mayonnaise, cream, salt and pepper together then pour evenly over the meat.

Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


Pizza Crust made with Coconut Flour

2 cups mozzarella cheese or monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

I also added some garlic powder and some parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper out for baking sheet if you are making one large crust. For individual pizzas (this will make 4) no need for extra parchment- just flip them over with a spatula after 15 minutes of baking.

Mix cheese, eggs, flax, coconut flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a spatula or with dampened hands to ¼ inch thickness on a baking sheet lined with one piece of parchment paper.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Halfway through the baking process, flip crust over by sliding it off the baking sheet with the parchment paper, placing the second piece on the sheet, and turning the crust over unto the new sheet and peeling the old paper off. Return to oven until done baking.

Remove from oven, slide off of parchment paper, and flip over again for cooling.



Once crust is cooled, top with sauce, pre-cooked veggies or meats, and cheese. Set crust with toppings under the broiler on high for a minute or two until cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve.


Low Carb Taco Bake
original recipe here
http://www.recipezaar.com/Low-Carb-Taco-Bake-119732

Crust

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Topping

1 lb ground beef
3 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces chopped green chilies
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Serve with additional toppings like shredded lettuce, jalapenos, guacamole, ripe olives, sour cream or salsa.

Directions

For the crust, beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the cream and seasoning. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish; spread the cheese over the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture as evenly as possible. Bake at 375ºF, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before adding the topping.  For the topping, brown the hamburger; drain fat. Stir in the seasoning, tomato sauce and chiles. Spread over the crust. Top with cheese. Reduce oven to 350ºF and bake another 20 minutes or so until hot and bubbly.  Serve with the toppings of your choice.


Baked Custards
Original recipe http://www.recipezaar.com/Baked-Custard-99813


Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sweetner of your choice, or equivilant, (I used 12 packets of Truvia)
2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine eggs, cream, half and half, sugar substitute and vanilla in a bowl mixing until smooth. Pour into six ramekin dishes or custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg. In a large baking dish filled half-way up with water, place custard cups. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 min. or until knife comes out clean when inserted into middle of one of the custards. Refrigerate until serving time.


Chocolate Pots De Creme

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
5 ounces good-quality unsweetned chocolate
1/2 cup sugar substitute. plus 5 tablespoons, or I used 17 packets of Truvia
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Bring about 4 cups water to a simmer over medium heat. Arrange 6 (6-ounce) ramekins 1/2 inch apart in a large baking dish; set aside.
Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it just to a simmer.
Remove from heat, add chocolate, and stir until completely melted, about 3 minutes; set aside.
Whisk sugar substitute and yolks in a large bowl until thickened and pale in color, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1/3 of the chocolate mixture, then add remainder while constantly stirring (try not to incorporate any air).

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large measuring cup or a bowl with a spout and pour in the custard base. Remove the strainer and evenly divide the custard base among the ramekins. Tap each ramekin a few times to break any bubbles that appear on the surface. Place the baking dish in the oven and carefully add enough of the simmering water to reach 1 inch up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and poke several holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake 25 minutes or until the outer 1 inch of each custard is set (the centers will still be slightly jiggly).

Remove the ramekins to a rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. If refrigerated, let the pots de crème come to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

The Truth

I was re-reading my posts for the last few days, and I realized I wasn't being honest with you...in regards to everything I have been experiencing since coming off of the HCG.  Turns out that I have been having mood swings (sorry, my darling hubby), a little depression, a lot of angst, and much confusion.  My skin is breaking out a little, and my boobs don't feel as firm.  Strange set of symptoms, and right this second I feel fine.  But I definitely feel better when I am on the HCG.  Life if somehow more calm, and a little easier.  I read somewhere that is helps to balance your hormones, and that could be the reason for the mood fluctations...as well, I have a history of depression, but Ive been pretty good for the last few years.  So not sure whats going on...

It could be too that this P3 is causing me to fret.  I feel like Im floating in the ocean with no lifeboat...I have no idea how my body will react to foods, I am having difficulty planning meals, I don't know the exact calorie counts of all the things Im eating...ugh!

Ive been on the HCG yahoo group reading posts for suggestions, Ive looked at happilythinnerafter, and blog after blog for ideas, but I think that is just making me more confused-steak days, chicken day, egg days (I hate eggs), apple and cheese days...I just want to be able to eat normally without gaining or losing, and it seems like a pipe dream. 

Its funny, though, this is like a dress rehearsal for the rest of my eating life.  I need to test things to see how my body reacts, and then soon, I will have a reportoire of foods that my body accepts, that I love, and that nourish me, and support my ideal weight.  But there is always the but there...but what if I dont stabilize, what if I gain all the weight back, what if this is some big practical joke?

In P4, I'm really looking forward to eating beans again, and brown rice, and quinoa, and my favorite balsamic dressing (which has sugar in it).  I know I am ok with that.  I am also looking forward to slow cooked oats with honey or B grade maple syrup, and ...oh there is so much more.  But for now, I need to maintain my much deserved 29lb loss, and figure out the next three weeks.

On a brighter note, one of our neighbors (good friends) called me Twiggy today.  I LOVE that...

R1P3D4

LIW 159.4
Daily loss 1.5lb
+.7 above LIW
Current Weight: 160.1

So the steak day only brought me down the total amount I gained yesterday, but thats ok.  I just hope this rollar coaster settles down a little, since Im really having difficulty getting the hang of P3.  I know how many calories I need to take in, I know I need to go slow in introducing new foods, I know all this stuff, but my body is responding exactly the way it wants to, and doesn't care what I know.

For breakfast today I had the chorizo I made for yesterday with a little of the mashed cauliflower.  Turns out its really not so great reheated in the microwave.  For lunch we went out for lunch with hubby's parents, and I had the burger I wanted yesterday and some brussel sprouts.  I made some P2/P3 appropriate Venison chili with lots of veggies (scallions, red and yellow peppers, celery, tomatoes) for dinner, but I'm a little too full from lunch to eat it...how am I supposed to get all my calories in?  Especially when I'm supposed to wait to eat nuts, and be slow with my dairy intake.   I'm going to need to go to the yahoo group to get some input if I show another gain tomorrow (I definitely dont want to do another steak day tomorrow). 

Does anyone know what a chicken day is and how to do it?) .  Have a great night...Im off to watch the Oscars.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

R1P3D3-My first STEAK day

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain 1.5
Current Weight (including the .9 from yesterday): 161.6, 2.2 above LIW

I was so excited to eat my chorizo, mashed cauliflower, and my big salad during Reiki training today.  But the scale registered an amount that put me at 2.2 over my LIW, so I drank water all day, and thought about the big steak I would be getting that night for date night.  I was a little disappointed, since I had planned to eat all the yummy stuff at 86 West that I have been seeing Mark get the last few weeks: Goat Cheese Fritters (just the inside for me), Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and a huge cheeseburger with bibb lettuce as a bun.  Instead I had a 10 oz steak (the biggest they had) and a tomato, and really enjoyed it despite my intial disappointment.  And it was fine. 

The Reiki training was really nice.  I refreshed my knowledge of the hand positions, and learned that I no longer need to hold my hand above the body like I was first trained 12 yrs ago.  Instead I can lay my hands on the body.  That was such a relief for me since it makes it much easier to do the treatment when you can relax your arms.  I will take Reiki II in the next few months and then be able to do distance Reiki (let me know if you want me to practice on you when that happens, its pretty cool).  I also got in touch with some feelings about how to be a better mother by paying better attention to Connor (ie turn off the TV and play a game with him, get out of my head and be loving towards him), and how to be a better wife...so all's good. 

Hope you have a good rest of the weekend-Im so looking forward to being outside tomorrow.  Its supposed to 55degrees out!  A heat wave!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Food for tomorrow...

Have a full day Reiki 1 training tomorrow, so Im busy cooking now so I have stuff to eat there.  I made some mashed cauliflower, chorizo (with no sugar or starch), and a big salad with peppers, tomatoes, onions, romaine and some Maple Glen Farms Sugar Free Vinagrette.  It should be SO yummy.  Im also making some cauliflower pizza crust to try for breakfast with some bruschetta in the morning...

Off to bed soon.  Good night!

R1P3D2

LIW 159.4
Daily Gain .9
Total Above LIW .7
Current Weight 160.1

So up .9 from yesterday...Im ok with that considering it was the first day I was eating so many calories, and with the 8:30pm strawberry/whipped cream debacle. I just need to keep a lid on it and make sure that I dont get 2 or more pounds above LIW....

Need to take my little guy for his 15mo checkup this morning, so this will be short and sweet. Would love if you would post your favorite first week P3 tips and foods in the comments so I will have some good support...

Thursday, March 4, 2010

P3 Day 1 Eating Frenzy

My stomach has been a little funky today...hard to eat all the fat and calories after my body has been subsisting on 500 calories a day.  I actually decided to eat the rest of the strawberries in the frig  (8 really big ones) just now with some whipped cream that I whipped myself (the first time ever) and added a few drops of vanilla cream stevia, and I feel awful.  That was really a mistake...way too much food, but I was so excited about making the whipped cream and it tasted yummy.

For lunch today, I was going to have some zucchini latkes (the recipe sounded amazing), but after making them and eating a few bites, my stomach seized up and I almost threw the little I did eat up into the garbage (sorry for the graphic imagery).  Not sure if it was too eggy, or if it was too buttery, but something was too much.  So I had a sausage link (which I found out later had sugar in it-ugh) for lunch, and for dinner, I had 8 oz of steak fajitas-flank steak with red, yellow, and orange peppers, onions, garlic, sour cream and cheddar cheese...they tasted good, but I thought after waiting so long to eat peppers and sour cream and cheese again that it would test better.  And then of course, there was my funny stomach...

Whatever, the scale will decide how I did today.  I did drink my 3 liters of water, so thats a good thing.  Hopefully Ill feel better tomorrow, and take it a little easier...though I will be making oopsie rolls and cauliflower pizza crust tomorrow.

R1P2 Final Measurements

So here are my final R1P2 Results:

Total Loss: 29.6lbs in 53 days
Total inches lost: 22.20
Dress sizes lost: ~3 (16 to large 10/comfy 12)
175iu injected subcutaneously for 49 days


R1P3D1-The Start of Something Great

LIW: 159.4

Loss from LIW: .2
Current Weight 159.2

So it looks like the scale I brought with me to the hotel did a good job of tracking my weight. Im down .2 from LIW, despite feeling really bloated. Could be because I did get down to 158, and now I'm up 1.2lbs...who knows? Guess the measurements I will be posting later this am will tell the story. I have not yet worked out today, but my plan is to pick my big guy up from school and head over to the gym for 20 minutes on the TreadClimber, which always kicks my butt. Then maybe Ill surprise him with a swim, if there is any rec swim planned later in the afternoon.

So far today, I've had 3oz of chicken and three large strawberries, totaling around 140 calories. Only 1350-1500 more to go! I also went to the bathroom for the 1st time in a week (yes, it was that long!!!). Hubby has asked me to meet him for lunch, but Im a little nervous about that, so Im going to have to pick a place very carefully...

Have book club tonight, which I'm really looking forward to, and date night on Saturday (YAY!). I felt bad that Hubby had to do the single parent thing for three nights in addition to my book club tonight and Reiki training all day this Sat, so I pushed him into calling his friends, and they are all going out tomorrow night. I'm so glad we have such good friends locally....and that he is going to get a chance to have some fun after supporting me so well this week. It feels like Hubby and I are really heading forward into new and wonderful waters, that swell with the storm, but settle back into something so beautiful and peaceful when they are calm. Marriage definitely has an ebb and flow...

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Caloric Needs for P3

So im trying to figure out how many calories I need to eat to make sure I dont go into starvation mode for P3, and found the following calculations.  First you need to figure out the Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR, which is the amount of calories you need just to survive.  Here is the link to a BMR calculator.  That number for me with my LIW of 159.4 is 1478.25. 

 
Then you need to figure out your activity level and your BMR with that incorporated.  Here are the calculations:
  •  If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
  • If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
  • If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
  • If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
  • If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

So my caloric needs are a whopping 1995.64 calories a day!  And if I up my exercise, I will need to eat 2291.29 calories!  Wow, thats a lot...but I know I can do it :)
 
I stopped at the store on the way home from my training and got cauliflower, zucchini and eggs, so I can try some of cleochatra's recipes...zucchini breadsticks, mashed cauliflower, zucchini or cauliflower pizza, and of course, some oopsie roles.  I also bought some Waldens Farm's sugar free Ketchup, BBQ sauce (tried that tonight, it was delicious, though the splenda seems to be leaving a not so nice aftertaste in my mouth), and some sugar free pancake syrup.  I'll let you know what I think of the sauces, and how the recipes turn out.  I can't believe I might need to have breakfast tomorrow (depending on the scale)...it is going to be so weird to eat breakfast again...and not have melba toast...Ive gotten used to those little guys. Anyway, no more musings for tonight, I promise...

  

Uh oh...

After going 50 days with no chocolate, two days out of three I have partaken. Today I ate TWO fresh baked chocolate chip cookies after lunch. And I ate them consciously, enjoying every bite, knowing full well that I might have to do a steak day on my first day of P3. They were so good...and I figured it was better to have them now when I don't have all that insulin coursing through my body (when the HCG is gone) then tomorrow. I know that once I'm in maintenence, I will have the occasional chocolate chip cookie (or three). But its ok. I need to do everything in moderation, and I need to give myself permission to enjoy EVERYTHING I eat, otherwise, there is no point in eating it.

I also mixed my veggies at lunch for the second day in a row, and had balsamic vinegar on my salad. I REALLY wonder what that scale is going to say tomorrow....Im not looking forward to having steak if Im up 2 from my LIW.

I only have 100 calories left for the day, so I think Ill eat 1/2 my chicken portion with a few strawberries for dinner and skip the veggie and melba toast. Working out has definitely increased my appetite so I wonder if that'll work on my hunger. Guess Ill just have to keep guzzling the water (3L today already and counting).

Fingers crossed I'm not up too much tomorrow...have a GREAT night.

Last Day Of VLCD

Daily gain 1.0
Total loss 30
Current weight 159

Up a lb this morning thanks to lovely deliciousness called goat cheese on top of my grilled shrimp salad last night. And my belly really hurt afterwards, so I'm definitely going to have to ease into cheese for P3- and check to see if I'm lactose intolerant or if my body was just having issue with the fat. Can't wait to see what the Wii fit scale has to say tommorow.

Tonight I'm really looking forward to getting home and seeing my boys (and man). And cooking lots of no carb no sugar wonders for next week's consumption. I'm so nervous to do P3 but it's a neccessity...I'm committed to doing it right!... And to keep working out... did another 1/2 hr on the elliptical this morning.

Anyway, back to training! See you tomorrow.




- Posted from my iPhone

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

R1P2D51-Still losing

Daily loss .5
Total loss 31 lbs
Current Weight 158

So I cheated again last night at dinner. I had three DELICIOUS pieces of bruschetta, and I enjoyed every bite. I also took a tiny bite of a chocolate bombe (mousse and chocolate) and loved that as well. But thanks to my almost 5 liters of water by days end, a 20 minute workout on the elliptical, a 10 minute swim, and a 20 minute sauna, I was down .5 on the scale this morning...YAY!

Lets see how today goes...off to training...

Monday, March 1, 2010

VLCD Day 50

Daily loss .9
Total loss 30.5
Current weight: 158.5

Please note that these numbers are all based on my crappy scale from home, so while I hope they're right, it's doubtful.

In training right now, counting the hours that I need to still be here (3.5 today, 19.5 left for all three days- ugh!), and the room I'm in has no wireless signal ( not sure when this will post but it's 1:50 pm EST as I'm writing this) and no email access- so I'm not able to read my favorite blogs or anything else to distract me from my boredom.

Oh well, at least the hotel is nice. And I as able to start my fitness program again after two months- I'll wait til thurs ( first day of P3) to see where my weight is and see how affected I am by going to the gym. While I'm here I plan to sauna before bed every night and workout or swim once a day.

Have stuck to my diet so far despite being bombarded with baskets of food and drink at every turn. There is an endless array of cookies, scones, bagels chips, diet soda, and all sorts of other no nos but so far no temptation. I do feel a little hungry though despite drinking 2 liters of water already.

Anyway, back to training- chat later...