Whoopsie!

I feel like I am seriously failing with this blog... and my weight loss! I am sure if I had been losing more weight I would want to update this more, but since I have actually put on a few pounds since stopping HCG I haven't really wanted to post much about the scale going up instead of down. :-( Poor me.

Maybe I should give you a review of my thoughts of HCG 
Pros

• It's great, if you can stick with it. And not just the time period of the very low calorie diet (VLCD), but actually follow through properly with the maintenance phases. Joe and I were SO excited to be done with our 500 calories a day that we did not focus enough on maintenance, and I think that's really what bit us in the butt.
• Have a goal in place before going into it. This will build your confidence and drive up, making it easier to follow through the whole diet.
• We have kept most of the weight off after a month, and we could have kept it all off had we not splurged a few times after the drops. 
• It is a significant amount of weight loss in a short amount of time with little to no exercise involved. 

 Cons

• If you don't have a goal in mind, you will not go far. If you do, good for you. I didn't, and I sure as heck didn't get as far as I would have liked. 
• Meal planning. Some people are all for it, but me, I like to plan my meal right before I have it. I guess that doesn't really make it a plan... 
•  Low energy levels. This led to more stress and bad moods for me. Taking care of an infant while not getting a full night's rest and very small daily meals was not fun for me.

Decide for yourself whether or not the pros outweigh the cons. I would definitely do this diet again, and I still recommend for people to try it. If working out really isn't your thing, or you have tried every diet in the book and are looking for another one to try out, give HCG a shot, it works as long as you follow the rules! 

Round 1 Complete!

Phew! That was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I cheated throughout this round. I wish that I would have stuck with it, but I am only human, and I love food. I am happy with losing 14 pounds in 26 days. I feel like it was a great intro into a healthier lifestyle, and it gave me motivation to lose more weight on my own.

I just got off my treadmill, and I am about to make something to eat for lunch. One really great thing that HCG provided me was the motivation to eat healthier. I take more time during the day to make a meal that consists of more than just a frozen TV dinner or quick trip to McDonald's.

If you are looking to start taking HCG drops, make sure you have a clear goal in mind. I think it would have been MUCH easier for me to stick to the diet if I had said in the beginning, "I want to lose 25 pounds by the end of this round." It would have been a lot harder for me to pick up a quick snack if I had that to motivate me.

Have a weekly meal plan made in advance of each week. It was a lot easier for me to stick to the diet when I had my daily meals written down in front of me. Always keep your fridge stocked with the groceries you need. Don't try to swing it and make a trip to the grocery store to pick things up for the meal you are trying to prepare. It is a lot more tempting to roll through a drive-thru while you are out and about picking up groceries for a meal you have to go home and cook!

14 POUNDS DOWN!

I am on day 27, and I am 14 pounds down. I am pretty happy with that, considering I have done my share of cheating in the eating department... I have also started adding in some exercise, just fast-paced walking, sit-ups, and leg lifts. The areas that I have noticed the most weight loss are my legs, stomach, hips, and chest. Glad to see my 42DDD (NO, I am not exaggerating) bra size shrinking!!!

Lunch- today I had Chick-fil-A. It was delish. I just could not help myself. 

Dinner- Chicken baked in the oven and spinach.

Day... What Day Am I On???

With the lack of energy that I have had lately and my teething son, my blog has definitely taken a backseat. And for that, I am sorry. I should have been getting on here regularly and documenting what I have been eating (cheats, too). I am making excuses, I know that. I am stuck at about an 11 pound total so far, and it has been 17 days so I am not so thrilled with my progress so far.
I have had many moments where I have just wanted to give up and go get something good and tasty to fill my belly. I have done just that a couple of times, and I always have regretted that decision afterward. I know that if I would have just stuck to this plan from the get-go and followed the diet exactly how I am supposed to be doing it I would have much greater results and a much happier and regret-free me. But, I'm hard headed and human. It is so easy to look back on things and wish you would have done something differently, but what would I have learned had I not made those decisions?
Lunch: Flounder cooked with pepper, italian seasonings, garlic powder, and juice of 1/2 a lemon, served with spinach cooked in lemon juice and pepper. Spinach has been a favorite side dish of mine throughout this process since I can have 3 cups! It is actually pretty filling and tasty, too.
Dinner: Lean sirloin filet, served with asparagus.

Day 10.. 9 Pounds Down!

9 pounds in 10 days is pretty awesome, considering how much effort I have put into this. It has been tough getting here, but definitely worth it. I am not as hungry as I use to be, and I find that I am filling up on a lot less food than I was 10 days ago. It is great because I know this is a lifestyle change for the better. I will be able to be a healthier mom to my son, and hopefully I can get outside and run around and play with him without being exhausted. 

Lunch: "Chili" that I made the night before, with 93/7 lean ground beef, browned with chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. (About 1 tsp of each)

Dinner: Steamed shrimp and asparagus. 

Oooops.. I'm a Little Behind! 01/18/12

I have been so busy this past week, I have not even been on here to blog! I hate when that happens. It feels like just yesterday that I was on here writing about my cravings getting the best of me :-( Maybe that is why I left.. Today really was not as hard, considering I made soups for both meals. They leave me feeling really full.

Lunch: Sauteed onions, cooked with water, pepper, and garlic powder, put that into a soup with leftover chicken from the night before and one can of no fat, low sodium chicken broth. Yummy! It really hit the spot on this cold and windy day. 

Dinner: "Chili"- First, I browned my 93/7 lean ground beef in chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and paprika. (All measurements were about 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp., except for the garlic powder and black pepper, we love that stuff around here!) While that was cooking, I diced up 2 small roma tomatoes, and added in one can of chicken broth. It was so tasty, even Joe loved it. 

One great thing about eating soups, the chicken broth really makes you feel full. I am the most satisfied (hunger-wise) since I have been since starting this diet. I feel like I have so much energy tonight compared to how I usually am.

Day 6 (01/14/12)

Other than beating myself up all day for cheating, it was a pretty good day.
Tip: When going to the grocery store, try to avoid the aisles with chips, ice cream, and cookies on them. That was not fun looking at everything knowing I couldn't have it.

Lunch: Pan seared flounder, cooked in lemon juice, pepper, and garlic powder, with sauteed spinach in the same seasonings.

Dinner: Baked sirloin filet (not fat), cooked with garlic and pepper, served with steamed asparagus cooked in garlic powder and pepper. The BEST meal I have had on this diet so far.