Phase III - A Wonderful Experience

I started Phase III of HCG back on February 20th. This was good timing. That week I had rehearsals every night for The Vagina Monologues. Rehearsals ran from 6-10 Sunday through Thursday, and being able to add breakfast back in had and has been a major help. (Phase III IS AMAZING!) I started by adding in low-fat cottage cheese (2%) with Stevia and strawberries. As I was able to add more calories in, I continued to add in more dairy - a cheese stick here and there, and increased my fruit and veggie intake. (I learned that I LOVE grapefruit) I didn't increase my portions of protein intake via meat really. Just once in a while.

Being able to add oils and fats back into my diet made it possible for my husband and I to go out to eat last week Sunday night, and stay for a movie in LaCrosse. We decided to go to Perkins, and I had the Tilapia plate and substituted the rice for more veggies - broccoli and spinach. I handed my dinner roll to Jon and requested no butter on my veggies. Even though I can have butter if I want, I have found that I actually prefer to eat foods without it. I would rather spend the calories elsewhere. The entire meal came to 370 calories. (For those who don't know, the Perkins website has a calorie counter for it's menu items where you can add/subtract things from your meal and get a total for what you are planning on eating. I find this incredibly helpful.) We also had a dinner outing the week before on Friday night. It was the Winona State University Madrigal Dinner. This event only takes place every two years, and needless to say - I wanted to go. I needed to go. That week I survived my first week of midterms since 2004. I needed to celebrate and do something "fancy like" with the hubby. Since I work on Winona State's campus, I emailed the chef and catering manager the week before, and they adjusted my menu for no carbs/starches/sugars for me so my husband and I could still have a wonderful night out. It was dinner, music, renaissance, and a show all in one! We had a fabulous time, and I even dropped weight the next day. Which brings me to my next point:

I have dropped a slight amount of weight on Phase III. The morning after my last 500 calorie day I weighted in at 139.9 lbs. Today I weighed in at 137.7. I noticed I am bouncing between 137 and the lower 138's. I am choosing to have my new "weight set point" to be 137.7 or whatever I dip down to at the end of this Phase (which is Sunday). I did get down to 137.2 two days ago, but I think that was a fluke. I had been pretty ill this entire week with bronchitis like symptoms and have been rockin' an inhaler nerd style since Monday. It sucks. I was well enough to try walking/jogging with Jon the other day. We are trying to get ready for running 5K distances together with the help of an app called "Couch to 5K". We are really liking it. The first day we tried it (Sunday last week) we started the program at the "Week 4 Day 1" by mistake and accidenlty overworked ourselves. We started at "Week 1 Day 1" yesterday, and it was MUCH easier. However, we were really proud that we made it though the more advanced stage - but we were sore for a couple of days. Lesson learned.

You may be curious what I eat on the 1500 calorie diet during Phase III. I did give myself 7 days to work up to 1500. You want to do this gradually and then see how your body reacts to different foods. For example, not everyone does well on green beans and carrots - and they contain more starch than normal veggies and are OK to eat in small amounts during HCG Phases. They are cautioned. For me, my body has had no adverse reaction to these veggies. Everyone's body is different and reacts differently to different things. That's why it's important to weigh yourself everyday. Also, lets say you screw up, and go off the wagon for a day - (by gaining 2 or more pounds from your "weight-set point") you can see that on the scale and take immediate action in the form of a "Steak Day". A "Steak Day" is when you eat nothing until dinner, and then have the largest steak you want, and either an apple OR a tomato. You can drink water and unsweetened tea, or coffee through the day (decaffeinated). The next day your weight should be back within it's normal "weight set" point. Fortunately, I have not had to do this at all. Truthfully, it's not a horrible experience if you do have to go through with it. Especially if you like steak. Mmmmmm...steak...I just prefer to be able to eat my three meals and snack healthily throughout the day.

On a side note, there are some wonderful spices from Mrs. Dash, McCormick, and Spike that I have found that contain zero sugars and no sodium (or very low) that are delicious additions! See above image :) The two on the left and "Extra Spicy" and "Lemon Pepper".

I have also added lemon juice to my veggies to give them a kick! Another great thing you can try is minced garlic. If you do not feel like "mincing" it yourself, you can buy it in jars. Just get the kind with water in the jar and not oil to keep it healthier. Below is a screen shot of my food diary I have been keeping on "My Fitness Pal" app. It will give you an idea of what I have been eating on Phase III. I do not plan on really swaying much from my Phase III diet. I will add some healthy grains in and cereal once in a while, some oatmeal as well.

So, what's the plan? I need to remember that I really do like fruit and vegetables. That I can have things in moderation. That I need to stay the hell away from soda, regular AND diet. I noticed that when I started drinking soda post HCG the second time, I started gaining weight. It did not matter if it was regular or diet. I think it's the sodium/sugar/sugar substitute combination that does it for me. I found a link to an interesting clip from a film about the dangers of aspartame (sweetener used in diet sodas, yogurts, and TONS of other food products). The movie seems slow moving at first, but as you watch, you learn how incredibly informative it is - and how horrible aspartame is for you. Scientists believe there is a credible link between health problems - including brain cancer - with aspartame. The film is called "Sweet Misery". Do yourself a favor and check out the whole movie on Hulu (free to view whether you are a Hulu Plus subscriber or not) at http://www.hulu.com/watch/162709/sweet-misery

The reason I refer to "Sweet Misery" as a "film" as opposed to a documentary - is because a documentary shows both sides of the story equally when it comes to investigative material. In this case, one side is represented more than the other - putting it in the "film" category. Even Michael Moore refers to his movies as "films" due to this fact.

I will update this blog as I move into Phase IV, also known as "Life Time Maintenance". I will also shift focus to my training for the sprint course distance of a triathlon taking place here in Winona, MN called "Trinona". Thankfully, I have a wonderful (this is an understatement) friend named Kathy who is patient with my questions and dispensing advice on the subject. Kathy completed an IronMan last year. She's amazing. I look up to her so much. She is truly an inspiration to me, and I am sure to others. Kathy, I love you. You're like a sister to me, and I appreciate you so much. Thanks for sticking with me through my ups and downs all these years.