R5P2C2 Starting Weight 169.4
Yesterday – 160.0
Today – 159.2
0.8 lb LOSS Overnight
3.8 lb UNDER LIW of Round Five Cycle 1 (163.0)
10.2 Lost Since Start of R5C2 (VLCD) 06/09/08
91.6 Total Lost Since Start of Protocol (VLCD) 06/26/07

8.4 NEEDED TO LOSE TO REACH 100 POUNDS

Sorry I wasn’t around yesterday, wow, we had an incredibly busy weekend. Saturday, I ended up not eating all day and having a double portion of protein (RibEye) at night with sliced tomatoes. A non planned modified P2 “Steak Day” – it is just the way things worked out that day. I didn’t have a HUGE loss, but I did lose .8 from Saturday to Sunday – which kinda goes along with my ‘theory’ that those Egg Days, Apple Days, and Steak Days don’t work unless they are used for what they are designed to be used for.

Yesterday I was still busy, but I ate more protocol style, and quite honestly that felt alot better.

Do you see how utterly CLOSE I am to reaching 100 pounds? And I am 1 week down. WOW – do you all think it’s POSSIBLE??? I am not gonna hold my breath, just take each and every day at a time. Someone just recently reminded me that losing 90 pounds was NOTHING to sneeze at, so I am going to count my blessings and live in the now and move on.

I haven’t done the “numbers” for awhile, so let’s see where I stand one week down.

• Round 1 (7 completed days) – 3.75% of body weight lost
• Round 2 (7 completed days) – 3.54% of body weight lost
• Round 3 (7 completed days) – 5.28% of body weight lost
• Round 4 (7 completed days) – 6.40% of body weight lost
• Round 5 (Cycle 1) (7 completed days) – 6.00% of body weight lost
• Round 5 (Cycle 2) (7 completed days) – 6.02% of body weight lost

The winner was still round four – but it certainly is a CLOSE call! HA! In Round 4 during my first week completed I lost 11.8 pounds – this time I lost 10.2 – this is really nothing to complain about, just working the numbers.

Let’s see, let’s give an update on my son and JPS – incidentally – my son is loving this round – he told me last night, after I made him a dinner of “Swiss Steak over Mashed Cauliflower” that this is the easiest round he has been on so far. He loves the added variety of foods (I have given him blueberries, cottage cheese, cauliflower, broccoli) and the fact that he isn’t doing this while in school is a plus – anyway, here are their stats:

My Son’s Stats:

• Starting Weight – 190.4 (after load)
• Yesterday’s Weight – 180.4
• Today’s Weight – 179.8 – 0.6 – Total of 10.6 pounds lost!
• First week complete percentage Body Weight Lost – 5.90%

JPS’ Stats (I should be able to keep up to date with JPS now, so the numbers will be current):

• Starting Weight – 136.0 (after load, which is only like .8 over her LIW of Cycle 1)
• Yesterday’s Weight – 129.6
• Today’s Weight – 129.0 – 0.6 Loss – Total of 7.0 pounds lost!
• First week complete percentage Body Weight Lost – 5.15%

My menu yesterday:

• 2 Hard Boiled Eggs
• Strawberries and Grapefruit for Snack
• Chicken and Sliced Tomatoes for Dinner
• 2 Liters of water
• 2 Liters of Iced Tea (sweetened with Sweet and Low)

Superfoods – Pumpkin

Well now, here is one of my favorite things. I absolutely ADORE pumpkin, in almost any form. What is very interesting is that both the flesh of the pumpkin AND the seeds are equally nutritious. Oh yes, and who doesn’t like pumpkin seeds? They are a FUN and healthy snack! So let’s discuss what makes the pumpkin such a ‘superfood’.

Something we haven’t discussed yet in our articles are carotenoids. This precious orange gourd is pack slap full of them, in fact, look at what has been reported about this particular vegetable (in reality, a pumpkin is a fruit because it has seeds) and it’s abundance of carotenoids:

Pumpkin flesh is high in fibre and vitamins C and E, magnesium and potassium and a staggering quantity and variety of carotenoids, being one of the most abundant natural sources of these amazing phytonutrients. (This was found here)

So what is this Carotneoid? They have been defined as a pigment – it is what gives fruit and veggies their red, yellow or orange color – but in that pigment is where all the benefits of carotenoids lie. Some of the health benefits of carotenoids include the following:

• Lowering risks of certain cancers (lung and colon in particular)
• Lowering risks of heart disease
• Lowering risks of blindness and cataracs
• Powerful ally against aging

What is most fantastical about this superfood is that it is actually one of those things that are better for you canned – again, look at what has been reported about this fact:

In fact, in terms of both dietary fiber and beta-carotene, the nutritional score of canned pumpkin is better than that of fresh. (This was found here)

So that all being said, let’s discuss for a moment the SEEDS! I just LOVE pumpkin seeds, they are a total guilt free snack, even for PHASE 3 – chalk slap full of nutrition! When getting them pre-packaged all I warn you is to watch the sodium count. Did you realize that just eating 1/4 cup of these delicious wonderful delicacies will provide you with approximately half the daily recommended dose for magnesium and iron, in addition to high doses of zinc, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, manganese and copper. WOW! Simply amazing that this tiny bit of goodness can give you all those benefits, all that and only 186 calories per 1/4 cup!

So what are the benefits of pumpkin seeds?

• Prostate Health
• Protection for Men’s Bones
• Anti Inflammatory Benefits in Arthritis
• It has been known to lower cholesterol

What are some uses for pumpkin seeds besides snacking?

• Grind them up and use them instead of bread crumbs in recipes
• Add them coarsely ground into cookies
• Use them instead of pine nuts for your pestos
• Chop them in use on your salads, or your granola

Here is one of my favorite recipes for use of PUMPKIN – completely legal for Phase 3:

Pumpkin Serniki’s

Hope you enjoyed our discussion on Pumpkins and Pumpkin Seeds, stay tuned – tomorrow will be about WALNUTS! OMG! I just LOVE walnuts!

A question to all my readers – feel free to either comment here on the blog, use my Tag Board or use my Comment Form. Today’s Question:

What is YOUR favorite recipe using Pumpkin or Pumpkin Seeds?

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R5P2C2 Starting Weight 169.4
Yesterday – 162.0
Today – 160.8
1.2 lb LOSS Overnight
2.2 lb UNDER LIW of Round Five Cycle 1 (163.0)
8.6 Lost Since Start of R5C2 (VLCD) 06/09/08
90.0 Total Lost Since Start of Protocol (VLCD) 06/26/07

10.0 NEEDED TO LOSE TO REACH 100 POUNDS

I just passed right on – never hit a 161something number, and oh yeah, that feels OH SO GOOD! And oh yeah, another thing:

Did I mention that yet? I am down 90 pounds as of today, and that too feels OH SO GOOD!

Once again, I must thank you all for being so kind. That thing yesterday? It’s nothing but a THANG and I am oh so over it. I so appreciate each and every last one of you that took a chance and reached out to make sure I was OK about it, and let me assure you, NOTHING can bring me down right now – NOTHING. I am so in the ZONE and so on top of the world. I really thought I was looking forward to 100 pounds but I gotta tell you that 90 pounds isn’t half bad either! OH YEAH!!!

Just had to share, I am running busy today, I will catch up more tomorrow when I have a bit more time.

My Son’s Stats:

• Starting Weight – 190.4 (after load)
• Yesterday’s Weight – 183.6
• Today’s Weight – 182.8 – 0.8 – Total of 7.6 pounds lost!
  

JPS’ Stats (remember, I have her stats a day late, so I don’t know what she is yet today):

• Starting Weight – 136.0 (after load, which is only like .8 over her LIW of Cycle 1)
• Day Before Yesterday’s Weight – 132.2
• Yesterday’s Weight – 131.4 – 0.8 Loss – Total of 4.6 pounds lost!
  

My menu yesterday:

• Catfish Creole
• Strawberries for Snack
• Ground Beef Patty and Sliced Tomatoes for Dinner
• 2 Liters of water
• 2 Liters of Iced Tea (sweetened with Sweet and Low)

On to my commenter’s from yesterday:

• Miss Scarlett – Gosh girl, this has to be a FIRST for you isn’t it? You commented on my BLOG! How utterly cool is that??? You have always been one that knows exactly what to say and when to say it, you rawk – but you know how I feel about you already, so we will leave it at that. Now girl, don’t be a stranger ok??? And I am OH SO NOT WORRIED about what was said. Nothing BUT A THANG!
• becca – HUGS to you BECCA! Another one that knows what to say and how to say it! You are another one that RAWKS the house! Thank you sweets for reminding me what is real. Yup, FOR SURE!
• Mary – Yeah girl, come back, come back, don’t be a stranger, we need you there! Girl? I am oh so over that whole episode – so no worries, but thanks for having my back!

Well peeps, that is it for today, over and out!

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R5P2C2 Starting Weight 169.4
Yesterday – 162.8
Today – 162.0
0.8 lb LOSS Overnight
1.0 lb UNDER LIW of Round Five Cycle 1 (163.0)
7.4 Lost Since Start of R5C2 (VLCD) 06/09/08
88.8 Total Lost Since Start of Protocol (VLCD) 06/26/07

11.2 NEEDED TO LOSE TO REACH 100 POUNDS

Gosh! Never thought that day would get here, nope. I finally reached my LIW of my Round 4 – that was way back on February 17, 2008 – so everything after this day will be VIRGIN POUNDS LOST. Oh that will feel so very, very good.

Now I am only 11.2 away from that MILESTONE of 100 pounds. Shhh, let’s not say anything else ok??? I feel like holding my breath until then. Just kidding!

Thank you all for the incredibly nice words on my video yesterday. As you can tell I was flying high with those Size 10′s – it’s a miracle I tell you, simply put, a miracle. Whoda thunk in less than a year I could do from a size 24 to a size 10 – not me that is for sure. Not me.

My Son’s Stats:

• Starting Weight – 190.4 (after load)
• Yesterday’s Weight – 183.6
• Today’s Weight – 183.6 – 0.0 – He got up at 11am – so who knows?
  

JPS’ Stats (remember, I have her stats a day late, so I don’t know what she is yet today):

• Starting Weight – 136.0 (after load, which is only like .8 over her LIW of Cycle 1)
• Day Before Yesterday’s Weight – 133.2
• Yesterday’s Weight – 132.2 – 1.0 Loss

My menu yesterday:

• Chili and Coleslaw for Lunch
• Apple for Snack
• Mahi Mahi and Sliced Tomatoes for Dinner
• 2 Liters of water
• 2 Liters of Iced Tea (sweetened with Sweet and Low)

Nothing But A Thang

Dawn over at the My HCG Journey Forums wrote a very interesting post yesterday. It was something that I needed right then and there as I thrown a curve ball in the morning, something I wasn’t expecting, and quite frankly I had a plethora of emotions about it.

I really don’t want to get into detail, but let me be general and tell you that someone wrote me telling me I was “self righteous”, “admiring yourself for being so successful”, and lastly to “get off your high horse”. WOW – those things kinda blew me away. Now, let me start by saying that I do have this problem that I cannot handle anyone NOT liking me. This is something that I have been working on for YEARS. I don’t know why, but I feel like I have to try SO hard to get everyone to like me.

Surely, if this person would have been there from the beginning, they would know that I am not all that successful. They would know that I have had my stumbles and falls. They would know that I am a researcher and that is why I seem to know a lot about this protocol. They would know that I spend a lot of time answering questions and by doing that I have developed a knowledge that may seem like I am on a high horse, but what they don’t know is that when I was new, I asked TONS of questions and I got answers from the vets then, and I felt COMPELLED to make myself available to the masses, because quite frankly, I received free, I give free.I will do anything and everything to get this accomplished. So my gut reaction was, OMG – what do I need to do to make this right?

Well, Dawn’s post made me realize that really, it’s “Nothing but a Thang” – this response that this person wrote me was in reference to something I wrote to them. Now you, my readers, know how I can be, I can be very sarcastic, harsh at times, but I always tell it like it is. I have never really held anything back. That is the nature of the beast with me. I even am harsh on myself, I am always right out in the open and you always know where you stand with me. This person? They are new to the protocol and in retrospect, I should have watched my P’s and Q’s instead of treating them like I treat all of you, you that KNOW me. You that have been through EVERYTHING with me. You that have watched me soar and have watched me drown.

So after I beat myself up about this comment, I read Dawn’s post and I realized, really, it’s nothing but a thang. Seriously. I cannot please everyone, as much as I think I need to, it just can’t happen.

So to this person, if your reading this, I apologize for given you any impression of me being superior, because I am not. I am a lowly individual trying to do this journey just like you. The only difference is that I have chosen to do it as an open book. This helps me stay accountable, it’s my motivating factor. If that gives off the impression that I am superior, again, I apologize as that is not my intent. My intent is just to share what little knowledge I have with anyone that is willing to hear it.

That is my story, and I am sticking to it.

On to my commenter’s from yesterday:

• jan brown – Thanks Jan for the nice words on the video!
• becca – Oh gosh Becca, I have this thing about “Muffin Top” – poor JPS, anytime I try something new on, I ask her, girl, does this look bad – oh how that girl puts up with me. I am like SO SELF AWARE of that! I look in the mirror and I am like, when is THIS gonna disappear??? Come on HCG! Why are you not attacking my MUFFIN TOP??? Thanks for the really nice words Becca, you’re a peach!
• Karen M-M – WOOT! Can you even believe it??? HA! Did you hear? I fit in a size 10!!! OMG! HA! You know I crack myself up, yup, that is for sure. Thank you girl, you are just bubbling with excitement my friend, and so very encouraging. Isn’t this stuff just amazing???

Over the weekend, I promise people, I will get back into doing the research for superfoods. I think I am in a good place now. Back to the old drawing board.