I am happy to report that my cold is just about gone. What a miserable time that was.
Over the weekend it was "Fight Night" and I ate out at the Fox and Hound.
Eric and I split a sampler platter and then each had a black forest sandwich (smoked turkey on a pretzel role) and washed it all down with 2 Guinness' over the course of about 3.5 hours. It was certainly more calories than I should have ingested BUT it was also a lot LESS than I normally would have eaten during a fight night. I cold beat myself up over the negative side of things but instead choose to celebrate the small victory. I didn't have a desert which I typically can't wait for. The only reason any of this is worth mentioning is the fact that I think I have actually internalized the idea of moderation.
Today I was 195.2, so I am for the most part stabilized around this weight. Work has been crazy busy lately and I've not done any walking. I really need to get outside and move a little. I miss it.
Over the weekend my friend Terry told me about a place to order the HCG injections over the Internet. I am anxiously awaiting the URL and will share it when I have it. I need to wait at least a month before I go back on the program but I can't wait to do it. I feel so much better now, I can't wait to see how much better I feel after another round. I want to go back to injections for the convenience of them, I'll combat the hunger feelings this time around by continuing to take my fiber pills.
Terry also shared a link to some homemade Chocolate that is made with Cocoa powder, coconut oil, stevia and macadamia nuts. I have not tried it yet but as soon as I do I will share the recipe.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
On the Mend
Still fighting the remnants of a cold. I'm at that stage where you just wish it would finally get over with. Don't feel right, still have a cough and occasionally reaching for the tissues, but can't really say I am sick either.
I dropped a little bit of weight which I am happy about. Going out for dinner tonight and then again for fight night tomorrow. I keep reminding myself to eat in moderation.
I dropped a little bit of weight which I am happy about. Going out for dinner tonight and then again for fight night tomorrow. I keep reminding myself to eat in moderation.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
RECIPE: Low Glycemic Peanut Butter Cookies
Low Glycemic Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1/3 c. whole grain or soy flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tbl. butter/low fat margarine softened
2 tbl. peanut butter
1 tbl. crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp. Truvia brand Stevia Powder*
3 drops Hazelnut flavored Stevia liquid
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Mix and stir all dry ingredients. Add butter and peanut butter. Using a fork or whisk mix well. Add beaten egg and mix well.
Using a teaspoon drop on greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
*Note: Not all stevia products are equal. Though I consider all to be an excellent product I have found that the Truvia brand measures best in substitution with sugar. As an example 1 package of Sweet Leaf brand stevia is the equivalent of 3-4 packages of sugar.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1/3 c. whole grain or soy flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tbl. butter/low fat margarine softened
2 tbl. peanut butter
1 tbl. crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp. Truvia brand Stevia Powder*
3 drops Hazelnut flavored Stevia liquid
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Mix and stir all dry ingredients. Add butter and peanut butter. Using a fork or whisk mix well. Add beaten egg and mix well.
Using a teaspoon drop on greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
*Note: Not all stevia products are equal. Though I consider all to be an excellent product I have found that the Truvia brand measures best in substitution with sugar. As an example 1 package of Sweet Leaf brand stevia is the equivalent of 3-4 packages of sugar.
RECIPE: Red Cabbage Slaw With Cranberries and Apples
Red Cabbage Slaw With Cranberries and Apples
Fat Free Oil Substitute
1 Cup cold water
1 Tbl low sodium vegetarian broth powder
2 Tsp cornstarch
Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
¾ Cup fat free oil substitute
½ Cup orange juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
2 Tbl reg wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbl chopped chives or scallions
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl Sugar (I prefer to use Stevia)
1 large clove garlic crushed
1 Tsp salt (I prefer to use the salt substitute “NoSalt”)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Salad
1 ½ pounds red cabbage thinly sliced
¾ Cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 sliced apples.
Directions
Combine all ingredients to make the fat free oil substitute. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Blend all vinaigrette ingredients, cover and refrigerate.
Combine the cabbage, cranberries and vinaigrette in a medium salad bowl and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Add apple slices just prior to serving.
Nutritional Information
70 Cal*, 0.5 g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 11g sugar*, 3 g fiber, 251 mg sodium
*Calories and sugar will be reduced by using No Salt and Stevia.
Fat Free Oil Substitute
1 Cup cold water
1 Tbl low sodium vegetarian broth powder
2 Tsp cornstarch
Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
¾ Cup fat free oil substitute
½ Cup orange juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
2 Tbl reg wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbl chopped chives or scallions
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl Sugar (I prefer to use Stevia)
1 large clove garlic crushed
1 Tsp salt (I prefer to use the salt substitute “NoSalt”)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Salad
1 ½ pounds red cabbage thinly sliced
¾ Cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 sliced apples.
Directions
Combine all ingredients to make the fat free oil substitute. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Blend all vinaigrette ingredients, cover and refrigerate.
Combine the cabbage, cranberries and vinaigrette in a medium salad bowl and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Add apple slices just prior to serving.
Nutritional Information
70 Cal*, 0.5 g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 11g sugar*, 3 g fiber, 251 mg sodium
*Calories and sugar will be reduced by using No Salt and Stevia.
RECIPE: HCG Cucumbers and Vinegar
HCG Cucumbers and Vinegar
Ingredients
2 peeled and sliced cucumbers
2 packages Truvia (stevia)
2 tablespoons No Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Vinegar (for phase 1 use white vinegar, for phase 2 use apple cider vinegar)
Directions
Peel the cucumber and roll in a paper towel to absorb extra water. Thinly slice and sprinkle with the salt substitute. Add fresh ground black pepper. Put in a bowl and sprinkle with Truvia. Add enough vinegar to cover the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Makes 1 to 2 servings.
Ingredients
2 peeled and sliced cucumbers
2 packages Truvia (stevia)
2 tablespoons No Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Vinegar (for phase 1 use white vinegar, for phase 2 use apple cider vinegar)
Directions
Peel the cucumber and roll in a paper towel to absorb extra water. Thinly slice and sprinkle with the salt substitute. Add fresh ground black pepper. Put in a bowl and sprinkle with Truvia. Add enough vinegar to cover the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Makes 1 to 2 servings.
RECIPE: HCG Mark’s Tomato Sauce (Mark’s own recipe for phase 1 and 2)
HCG Mark’s Tomato Sauce (Mark’s own recipe for phase 1 and 2)
Ingredients
4 beef steak tomatoes
9 Roma tomatoes
Fresh Basil
¼ cup dried basil
1/8 cup dried oregano
½ tsp chili powder
3 dashes Frank’s Red Hot sauce
2 Tbl tarragon
16oz can organic tomato sauce
2 heaping Tbl chopped garlic
2 dashed onion powder
1 red bell pepper, roasted
½ onion diced
2 tsp No Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 cans low sodium tomato sauce
2 cans tomato paste
Directions
Cut red pepper in half. Remove seeds. Puree ½ pepper and put in a large pot. Dice the remaining half and add to pot.
Puree the beef steak tomatoes and add to pot.
Dice the Roma tomatoes and add to pot.
Roll the fresh basil and slice with a knife. Thin stems are OK. Add to pot.
Add all remaining ingredients to pot. Put on high for about 1 hour, then reduce to warm. You want the tomatoes to reduce, if you see a lot of liquid, turn up the heat for a little while. I prefer to can the sauce for use throughout the week.
Note: different doctors will follow slightly different protocols. You may need to omit the red bell pepper and onion in phase one if your doctor advises such. I did not see any difference in my success when I included it.
Ingredients
4 beef steak tomatoes
9 Roma tomatoes
Fresh Basil
¼ cup dried basil
1/8 cup dried oregano
½ tsp chili powder
3 dashes Frank’s Red Hot sauce
2 Tbl tarragon
16oz can organic tomato sauce
2 heaping Tbl chopped garlic
2 dashed onion powder
1 red bell pepper, roasted
½ onion diced
2 tsp No Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 cans low sodium tomato sauce
2 cans tomato paste
Directions
Cut red pepper in half. Remove seeds. Puree ½ pepper and put in a large pot. Dice the remaining half and add to pot.
Puree the beef steak tomatoes and add to pot.
Dice the Roma tomatoes and add to pot.
Roll the fresh basil and slice with a knife. Thin stems are OK. Add to pot.
Add all remaining ingredients to pot. Put on high for about 1 hour, then reduce to warm. You want the tomatoes to reduce, if you see a lot of liquid, turn up the heat for a little while. I prefer to can the sauce for use throughout the week.
Note: different doctors will follow slightly different protocols. You may need to omit the red bell pepper and onion in phase one if your doctor advises such. I did not see any difference in my success when I included it.
The Worst That Can Happen
I can think of two terrible things that can really mess up a dieter. Weather being the first, just when you find yourself getting into a groove and wanting to go out for walks, mother nature seems to turn on you and you get hit hard with rain or snow or extreme temperatures. We've had some rain here in AZ lately, but nothing to really interfere with my progress.
The second thing I can think of that can truly mess you up is the common cold or flu. I got hit fairly hard by this one recently. I started to feel run down and my sinuses were bothering me since last Thursday. Over the weekend what I thought was just an allergy flair up ended up being all out sick. 3/4 of a box of lotion tissues later I am finally starting to see an end is in site.
On Monday I had to stay home from work, I was still contagious and there was no way I could have driven to work with my eyes watering as frequently as they were.
The up side was that I wasn't very hungry at all and saw my weight dip down a little. I actually managed to get down to 192.7. As I am starting to feel a little better my appetite has also returned and I gained back a tiny bit of weight. Overall I am down over where I was before I got sick. I weighed in at 194.6 this morning and I am rather pleased about that.I have less than 10 pounds to go to reach my goal of 185.
How is everyone else doing? If you are following the blog please let me know what you think about it. Have you tried the recipes? Which is your favorite?
The second thing I can think of that can truly mess you up is the common cold or flu. I got hit fairly hard by this one recently. I started to feel run down and my sinuses were bothering me since last Thursday. Over the weekend what I thought was just an allergy flair up ended up being all out sick. 3/4 of a box of lotion tissues later I am finally starting to see an end is in site.
On Monday I had to stay home from work, I was still contagious and there was no way I could have driven to work with my eyes watering as frequently as they were.
The up side was that I wasn't very hungry at all and saw my weight dip down a little. I actually managed to get down to 192.7. As I am starting to feel a little better my appetite has also returned and I gained back a tiny bit of weight. Overall I am down over where I was before I got sick. I weighed in at 194.6 this morning and I am rather pleased about that.I have less than 10 pounds to go to reach my goal of 185.
How is everyone else doing? If you are following the blog please let me know what you think about it. Have you tried the recipes? Which is your favorite?
RECIPE: Portobello Pizza Made With Cauliflower Crust
I want to thank my friend Terri for pointing me to the base recipe for this one and the original poster Jamie VanEaton. The same day that Terri told me about this one we both tried it with our own variations. Experiment a little on your own and you will surely find a combination you love. This one is really great.
Portobello Mushroom Pizza & Cauliflower Crust
Ingredients:
Pizza Crust
Directions:
Note: I found the crust came out best by cooking it on each side, I used parchment paper to make it easy to remove from the pan and flip it.
Portobello Mushroom Pizza & Cauliflower Crust
Ingredients:
Pizza Crust
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 egg
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- Cauliflower pizza crust
- Toppings of your choice (make sure meats are cooked)
- Pizza or Alfredo sauce
- 1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 Portobello mushroom, sliced thin
- Fresh basil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place cauliflower florets in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Remove from microwave and drain any water from bowl. Allow to cool.
- Rice the cauliflower by pulsing in a food processor or grating with a cheese grater.
- Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg, garlic powder and mozzarella.
- Press evenly on the pan. Keep it a little thick to avoid it braking apart when picking up.
- Sprinkle evenly with oregano.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).
- Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then basil, cheese and portobello.
- Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted.
Note: I found the crust came out best by cooking it on each side, I used parchment paper to make it easy to remove from the pan and flip it.
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