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.

The End of Phase II

I know it's been a number of weeks since I have updated this blog. Heck, today is my final day of Phase II. I will post measurements soon. I am sure you're wondering...am I pleased with the results? Was it worth it? How did I deal with life and the diet? Something to think about --- it's not over yet. I still have Phase III to get through. After that, it's about a lifetime of change. However, let me get to the past 5 weeks.

My life has been completely crazy nuts. I am back in school, working full time, and have been involved in two theatrical productions. One just wrapped up last week Saturday. It was "The Wonderful Super Duper Delicious Variety Show" and it was a great time! However, I became an organizer on the show, an emcee and a performer. (Here is the link to the video of my belly dance! http://youtu.be/DqDg17NfT40) This week I have rehearsal for "The Vagina Monologues" for the next 4 nights from 6-10 (which is where I am right now writing this). I admit, I bit off way more than I should while on HCG and consuming only 500 calories a day for 41 days as the diet dictates. One should avoid as much stress as possible and get as much sleep as one can. I have retained water like crazy these last 5 weeks. I have had stalls in my weight loss that started about 2 weeks ago. These stalls had me crying and frustrated, even borderline depressed at times (but not clinically). My husband had to hold me for an hour when I gained back 1.3 pounds on Valentine's Day. I cried almost the entire time he held me. The day before I was 142.7, the next day I was 144. How could this happen to me? Was it really worth doing all the work to experience a set back when I had obeyed the rules? These were the thoughts running through my head. Turns out the gain was due to water retention and stress. When you belly dance like crazy for 3 nights in a row (even for just 5 min - granted it's a rigorous routine) and have an insane amount of stress - it doesn't matter if you obey the rules of the diet - you're body isn't going to like it. Previously in the same week I had stalled for 3 or 4 days. An "Apple Day" did nothing to remedy this. (For those who don't know - an "Apple Day" is used to break a stall of more than 3 days. You eat nothing but 5 apples for a day) I also had another Apple Day on Valentine's Day.

I learned a couple of things that I would like to impart on you:

1. There are some breadsticks that are approved on the diet. The brand recommended is "Grissini". However, there are two brands that use this name. One is alright. The other is the devil. I learned this the hard way via stalling. You want the long thin Italian ones. They are about 12 calories each, and they are a bitch to find in a grocery store. I remember my husband and I running around the grocery store back and forth, back and forth trying to find them. It was the end of the night, and we were both exhausted - I was at my wits end.

2. Melba Toast is no longer safe. They have added sugars and molasses to their recipes. BEWARE!

3. Squeeze your own damn lemon juice. Count the calories from it. With store bought lemon juices, there is a high chance of "Lemon Oil" being in the ingredients somewhere.

4. Have supportive people in your life. My husband has been amazing through this whole process. The day I had my crying fit with the weight gain was Valentine's Day. As stated above, I decided to do an "apple day". When I got to work I went to the Mass Comm office to check my mail, and there were people eating cupcakes. My boss, who has been sensitive to what I am going through, asked the secretarial assistant to put the cover back on the box - so I didn't have to smell/look at them due to my "diet". The man behind the desk said, "That's not my problem, it's yours," directing his comment to me. I left the office crying. Jon called me a couple hours into my work day to see how I was doing. I told him what happened. Later that day, when I was in the last half hour of my on-air shift, Jon surprised me with a heart shaped balloon bouquet of 14 balloons. On top of that he filled a heart shaped white plastic basket filled with little gifts with post-it notes attached to each item and how it pertained to me and the love he feels for me. Some examples of items in the basket: a "lipstick" shaped pen that said "Your great fashion sense". A deck of cards read, "Because you never stop using your talents" (I needed a deck for my monologue). A mini "build-a-bear" said "You're my best friend". It gets more and more loving with each item. I really needed that. He blew my mind. Jon managed to give me the best Valentine's Day ever! That evening we sat in the sauna together, and then went grocery shopping. I couldn't be happier. The next day I was back to 142.7. My gain diminished. The sauna, apple day, but mostly Jon's love and care for me are responsible for that. Oh, and he also bought me a gift certificate for a spa day! Ahhhhhhhhh!

5. Only do HCG if you can handle it. Pick a time when your life is not crazy.

So, am I happy with my Phase II results? Yes. This didn't hit me till Friday. I managed to drop 20.4 pounds as of today (Sunday). I weigh in at 140! I would have liked 138, but - I lost 20.4 pounds! I'll take it! We will see if I have lost more tomorrow when I step on the scale. This week I managed to go out and buy new jeans. Not because I wanted to, but because I NEEDED to. (Previous to starting the HCG injections,  I was wearing my size 10's as my 8's that I loved were getting uncomfortably tight.) The two new pairs of jeans I purchased: One is a size 6, and the other a size 4. Holding up the jeans, I could not believe how small the waist looked. This is the smallest I remember being ever. I really am in denial about the whole size 4 thing, but I am not going to question it. I am just going to enjoy it - and realize it's not about a number. It's about being healthy.

Tomorrow I start Phase III, and I'll admit - I am nervous. I am also excited about being able to start adding in calories. Over the next week I need to add in about 142 calories a day to reach 1500 by next Sunday. It's going to seem odd - like a lot of food to ingest. I have to weigh myself everyday and see how my body reacts to different foods. This way I will be able to tell if I have an adverse reaction to dairy, nuts, ect. You usually try one different thing a day, that way you can identify a problem food based off how what the scale tells you the next day. If I were to go over two pounds my lowest achieved weight, I need to do a "steak day". A "steak day" entails me eating nada all day till dinner, drinking water. Then I can eat the largest steak I desire with an apple OR a tomato (not both!). This will set my weight point back to "normal" (lowest weight achieved in Phase II). I have to obey this, for if I skip a "steak day" when I need it, I will have reset my new weight to this "new" weight I find myself at (somewhere 2+ lbs over my "normal" weight). I am still off of sugars and carbs for three more weeks during Phase III.

After Phase III, (referred to as Phase IV or "lifetime maintenance") I need to still check in on the scale and maintain with "steak days" when needed. It's about persistence, maintenance and having a healthy life style. It's about saying "no" to peer pressure food situations like holidays and parties (which I have turned down consistently throughout this diet). For example: Easter is approaching and Jon and I will be expected to attend a lunch and a dinner in the same day. We will eat probably at one, or just pack something to share that we can enjoy. Something healthy. It doesn't mean we can't practice moderation with goodies. It's just our families aren't really health conscious at these gatherings. People (and by that I mean "parents") are constantly pushing food on you. Trust me, "pushing" is not an understatement by any means. It literally feels that way - and I am not the only one who has commented on this. I felt ill, literally ill after Christmas this year. In fact, I was out sick for a week. I am sure that has more to due with stress than food - at the same time I am positive it's all related. After you have been on HCG and you "overindulge" you may feel sick. It's part of the whole "reset" your body goes through when reprogramming the hypothalamus gland which controls the metabolism.

Another thing - Jon's co-workers always like to go out where the food is insanely unhealthy. My game plan is to either not go, or if I do choose to go - get an idea of what is on the menu and go into the situation already knowing what to order. Then I have a game plan before I even set foot in the establishment. I know I can count on my loving hubby to hold me to it as well. This is a good plan to live by when going out to eat. It's usually a standard practice for Jon and I. We just got lazy during the holidays. Ordering in Chinese food once a week, not caring at family gatherings, drinking soda, frequenting restaurants. Another thought was "Well, heck. We'll be dieting anyway after the holidays". Our plan is to not let that happen again. There should be no need for a diet after the holidays. I was still exercising 3-4 times a week - but if you put crap in - it's hard to get out (or off!). Another misconception is "If I exercise a lot today, I can eat more tonight!" This is not a healthy mentality. I have been trapped by this on way more than one occasion!

Another question I have been asked, "Would you do it again?" My answer is I hope to never be in a position that I should have to. With work and school and all the other trouble I get myself into - it is not realistic that I would do it again. If I had to - sure. However, I think Jon has suffered enough. The other night he asked me, "Are you happy?" to which I said "Yes" and he was relieved. I say this has been a success! I am glad that I did it, but what makes me really happy - is that this roller coaster is now going up a much easier hill to climb than the first two! On to Phase III! This is going to be way easier!

Teri