Well, I am 1 week away from the end of my first time through the phase 2 protocol and so excited at my progress so far. Many friends and family have asked for information on what I have been doing so I thought it might be easiest to share the information by starting a blog.
This first post consist of some key elements that I feel helped me to this point on my HcG journey.
Step 1: Be Informed: Read the information thoroughly on the program you will be following. It does require some forethought, there are some things you will need to make sure do not inhibit the effectiveness of the drops. For example, I changed my concealer, make-up foundation, lip balm and toothpaste due to oils that were present in the ingredients. I also have not used my lotion/moisturizer during this time. There are oil free lotions out there but I have not had a need to seek these out as of yet. It is also important to look at a calendar to be able to prepare yourself adequately for this journey. I actually started a diet calendar to help me with this. I numbered all the days of the program I planned to follow and listed each phase I would be on, this included the weeks in between each round. This helped me in getting a clear picture that although there are speedy results overall it is a long process and there will be hurdles I need to be prepared for in order to achieve my ultimate goal.
Step 2: Starting the Journey: Although I felt skeptical about the gorging phase I did enjoy it! I looked at the list of fried foods, hot dogs, hamburgers, Mexican food, potato chips, pot pies, cheese, ice cream, doughnuts, chocolate, cakes and candy bars and began to plan how I could fit them all in the the allotted days. To me it felt sort of ceremonial, as if I was holding a bon voyage party for a dear friend that was going away for a long time. I know this really shows everyone the true depth of my dysfunctional relationship with food, but I am trying my best to keep it real. The goal of this journey for me is to become healthy, mind, body and soul, and this portion just accurately shows the changes that needed to be made in my mind.
Step 3: Staying on Protocol: The first thing I did to help me put my best foot forward was to go shopping! I took my little list of allowed foods and some suggested recipes I had to collect the ingredients that would make this phase doable. I must admit there was much trial and error in this leg of my journey so I wanted to share some of my favorites in order to help you avoid some of the pitfalls I experienced.
First let's talk about tools, these are the things I used frequently to help me prepare my 500 calorie meals. These were my must have tools: A Food Scale(for measuring portions), George Foreman Grill(for maximum fat removal of protein), Blender/Bullet/Food Processor(for fruit "smoothies", slushies and sorbets), steamer(for quick & easy veggie prep), Ziploc baggies of various sizes(for prepackaging serving sizes & freezer storage), oven & non-sick foil(for baked chicken and fish packets), stove-top(for preparing soups, broths and sauteing veggies), Slow Cooker(for roast, soups and chili) and microwave oven(for quick baked apples).
Next, let's talk about flavor. Some of the seasonings were quite foreign to me in the beginning. While visiting the upscale healthy grocery store I had to ask several stock boys for help in identifying what the items were in order to find out what isle they might be on. Later on I discovered many of the items were already in my neighborhood store I just didn't know where to look for them. Here are a list of what I call my must have seasonings: Apple Cider Vinegar(base for many versions of salad dressings or marinades), Braggs Liquid Aminos(soy sauce taste, great as marinade or with cabbage, beef and chicken), Stevia in the Raw(packets are great to carry for sweetening), Stevia Flavored Drops(I have tried vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut and peach for flavoring tea, coffee and smoothies), Prepared Horseradish Mustard(check ingredients, I use this to thicken salad dressings, as a marinade and even a dip for sliced apples), Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning(be careful high salt content & a little goes a long way, but adds lots of spice to meats and veggies), Cinnamon/Pumpkin Pie Spice/Apple Pie Spice(great on apples, in soups or to add a new flavor to meats and veggies), Old Bay Seasoning(Similar to Seasoning salt with a blend of herbs that taste great on almost everything, also offered in a low sodium version), Onion Salt/Onion Powder/Chopped Dehydrated Onions and Garlic Powder(these taste great for broth & meat seasoning but be sure to research ingredients, usually garlic oil is added but not always listed, you could always use fresh garlic cloves if not sure). Other spices I have used that might be more suited to individual taste are: Cumin, Curry, Mustard Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Ginger, Celery Salt and Dill.
And finally actual food items, here is a list of my must haves. Vegetables: Baby Spinach(sauteed in a bit of broth with Vanilla Stevia tastes like creamed spinach, warning reduces down greatly, I used half a bag per serving), Hunt's Canned Diced Tomatoes(check ingredients on can, it is a must for chili or a sauce for meats), Asparagus(good sauteed or in baked fish/chicken packets), Onions(can't beat them sliced on Foreman grill with a bit of salt/also great for vegetable broth), Cabbage(Steamed to eat as a side, added to soup or for mock cabbage or egg rolls), Cucumbers(makes a nice cold salad taste better 2nd day), Radishes(I sliced these and made a soup, surprisingly better than expected, nice for something different) and good ole Lettuce(only bearable to me due to homemade salad dressing and dressed up with grilled shrimp or chicken or chopped apples or strawberries) Meats: 93% Lean Ground Beef, Organic Chicken Breast, Frozen Tilapia, Lean Beef Roast(Eye of Round etc) and Frozen Shrimp,(meats can be prepared a variety of ways just be sure to measure portions first). Fruits: Apples(baked, raw, made into sauce, etc.), Oranges(frozen, freshly peeled or made into Mock Orange Julius smoothie), Strawberries(my favs are fresh for smoothie or frozen to make a sorbet) and 1/2 a Grapefruit(I could take or leave this but it is nice if you need variety, it can be fresh, frozen or baked).
Step 4: Making it Work: Planning ahead is the key to success and I won't lie at first it is something I had to completely absorb myself in. After all I had some really bad food habits to break and lifestyle changes to make. But take heart it does get easier! Buy portioning all my uncooked meats as soon as I purchased them (personally, I did not like the way cooked meat tasted after freezing) I was able to stock the freezer and then just pull a couple of bags out the day before to thaw in fridge. It also helped me to make large pots of broth at a time and freeze those for soups or saute liquid for later use. I also had success freezing steamed cabbage and sauteed spinach. I also made a large amount of Vinaigrette Dressing to keep on hand for salads or marinade. Since you need to wait a time period between taking the drops and eating, I found that I could take the drops and then had plenty of time to prepare a meal for my family(not a big fan of the allowed foods) as well as my meal. Mine often just required warming on the stove top, baking in the oven or grilling on the Foreman. Prep times ran between 10-20 minutes depending what I was making. By timing both meals to be ready approximately the same time I was never really tempted to eat their meal rather than my own. planning ahead also helped, as I mentioned before, to be prepared for events that might normally cause me to stray.
Some of the hurdles I faced were how to eat at a prepared luncheon at a professional conference I would be attending without looking like the odd man out by merely drinking water, tea and coffee while my colleagues ate the feast that had been prepared. Okay maybe it wasn't a FEAST but it was not at all in line with the 500 calorie fare I was becoming accustomed to. What I did was bring three items in small baggies/containers (chopped grilled chicken, homemade vinaigrette dressing, orange wedges) that easily fit in my purse and was able to make a side salad into a satisfying alternative that kept me on protocol. Another hurdle I faced was a 10 hour drive each way, long weekend trip out of town . What I did...booked a hotel room with a small fridge and microwave, prepackaged my meals for each day making sure some were road friendly (apple, orange, cucumber salad w/ chopped chicken breast and melba toast) and had an ice chest to keep things cool on the road. I still have a family reunion around the corner to face but I am confident I can use some of the options previously stated to make it through fine.
Step 5: Looking Back: What greater incentive is it to look back at your achievements and results? My diet calendar helped me not only by gauging day to day progress but by also by giving me a page full of facts that show my hard work was paying off. Also be sure to take measurements when you start and track that every few weeks or so. I was getting a little down when I stalled at a weight for a few days but then noticed that I was still losing inches.
Right now I am making a game plan for phase 3 and hope that this journey will continue to go in the positive direction that I have experienced so far. Until then I hope your journey finds you well!
Check out new post on October 19 to see update on phase 2 allowed foods! MORE CHOICES YEA!!!
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