7 Ways to Add Flavor to HCG Approved Meals

One of the hardest parts of sticking to any diet is finding recipes that taste good, or adding flavor to simple dishes. Having done four rounds of HCG, I have learned a few tricks that arent on the original protocol, but pose no risk to your weight loss. Here are 7 ways to add flavor to your HCG approved meals:

Franks Hot Sauce

I love using Franks Red Hot Original Sauce on chicken. Its a simple addition that really ramps up the flavor. Plus it only contains a few simple ingredients, all of which are approved for the HCG Diet. The only caution with this is not to use more than a teaspoon per meal because it does contain salt which can cause water retention. Franks Red Hot Original Sauce can be found in the condiment aisle of the grocery store.

Mrs. Dash

Mrs. Dash has a great line of salt-free, MSG-free seasoning blends that are absolutely amazing. Mix them up with some stevia and vinegar for a dressing, or sprinkle them on our meat while it cooks, these are a healthy, simple addition to any HCG Approved meal. Mrs. Dash seasoning blends can be found in the spice aisle in the grocery store.

Lemon Juice

It sounds simple, but adding lemon juice can make all the difference to your Tilapia or asparagus. Its also great on apples, in ice slushies, water and more. Lemons are super cheap, too!

Salsa

Now this one was a life saver for me in round three. I would use Pace Picante Mild salsa. It has no added sugar and its low in calories. I would add a couple tablespoons to chopped chicken and serve it over lettuce. Technically that is mixing veggies, I know, but it never affected my weight loss and it saved me from cheating on the diet on numerous occasions. Look for it in the Salsa aisle in the grocery store.

Onion
Like lemon juice, this seems like another no-brainer, but there are certain veggies that dont seem to pose any problems when mixed with other veggies. Onion is one of those. Try chopping up a small chunk of onion and grilling it with chicken and chopped tomato. Its simple but the onions add a great, fresh flavor that seasonings cant.

Combine your Fruit and Veggie Serving
Did you know that you can make some pretty amazing fruit and veggie combos? Yup. Try mixing your apple with spinach and topping it with chicken, you can also do that with oranges. Or you can try mixing grapefruit with cucumber, strawberries and lettuce, and even apples and celery. Mix and match your fruits and veggies to create new flavor combinations.

Trulicious Powder/Liquid

Trulicous powder is an amazing product of Blue Earth nutrition. It is stevia that is combined with a unique fiber blend to help promote digestive health. It is the best powdered stevia I have ever tasted plus its packed full of health benefits you wont find in Truvia. I love mixing some powdered Trulicious, cinnamon and sprinkling it on an apple then baking it. Its like a mock apple pie! Its also great in tea and coffee. Plus, HCGDiet.com offers Trulicous stevia liquid in multiple flavors.


What are ways you have found to add flavor to Phase 2 of the HCG Diet?

Looking for some health, Phase 2 approved recipes? Check out Eat Well, Slim Down. Its a digital HCG Approved recipe book with over 100 recipes! Plus its only $10! 

Read More..

4 Mistakes that could be Ruining your HCG Diet

This isnt your first rendezvous for the HCG Diet. You know what youre doing. But for some reason, every once in awhile your weight loss seems to slow or stall. And that is frustrating, even for an HCG Diet veterans like you and me.

 We like to think we know what were doing, weve read Pounds and Inches, weve gone through every page of the guidebook, and maybe even got our hands on Lose 50 Pounds Guaranteed, but somehow even us veteran HCG Dieters miss details that could be slowing down our weight loss. 

Here are 4 things that may be ruining your HCG Diet:

Not Measuring
OK, lets be honest after our second or third week on the diet we lose interest in measuring everything we eat, at least I did. However, trust me when I say you need to measure, no matter what. The thing is, we think we know what 3.5 ounces of meat looks like but its easy to add an extra ounce and sometimes even two. Those extra ounces add up to extra calories and they can be slowing down your weight loss. So do it a night ahead or pack a food scale in your purse. This is one fine detail that when skipped adds up over time.

Over Compensating
Have you ever eaten something you were supposed to and thought, "I can fix this, Ill just do a Cali Kicker, some sit-ups, take green coffee, go for a walk, take my appetite control, and cut back on dinner." Im guilty of that train of thought. But you dont need to freak out like that. Just get back on track at your next meal and let your body correct the problem itself. If you do too many quick fixes at once youll confuse your body and the problem will only get worse.

Deviating from Protocol

I went through this phase where I was eating banana peppers because they are low-calorie and didnt have any oil, but the thing is they arent on the original protocol for a reason and that reason is sodium. There are also a lot of other things that seem like theyd be fine but they arent. For instance certain fruits like mango and watermelon are too high in sugar for the diet and can slow you down. Even unlisted veggies can cause problems. So simply put, if its not on the approved foods list... dont eat it.

Skipping Calories

Toward the end of Phase 2, I have a hard time getting all of my 500 calories in. I know that sounds crazy because Im not eating very much as it is, but the appetite suppressant in HCG Triumph drops is pretty powerful. So its tempting to skip out on your fruit or veggies, but then your body (even though it doesnt feel hungry) goes into starvation mode and you stop losing weight. Eat all of the food youre suppose to eat.

And for those of you who arent quite HCG vets, you may not have slipped into these bad habits yet, and thats good news. So take notes and make sure you never start. :) 

Are you guilty of any of the above diet blunders? What other bad habits have you found slow down your weight loss?

Read More..

And Its All Thanks To HCG Triumph

If one year ago I had been approached by someone from the future and told how much my life was about to change, I wouldnt have believed them. If they told me I was going to lose the weight of a European supermodel, I would have laughed in their face. So how did it start? How did I go from an obese diet skeptic to a much healthier diet blogger? Simple. It all started with HCG Triumph.

HCG Triumph is one of the few legitimate HCG brands left. Despite a lot of misconceptions, HCG Triumph drops still contain the HCG hormone, but more than that they contain a powerful blend of amino acids that help support your body during the low calorie portion of the diet. I did a lot of research before I decided to start the diet. I read a lot of articles on HCG and calorie restriction, and when it came down to it I knew that using HCG Triumph would be healthier than resigning to a life of obesity.

The HCG Diet was hard, but it worked. What a lot of people dont understand is that when you have over 100 pounds to lose, losing a pound a week, while better than nothing, makes the task seem impossible. With the HCG Diet, I lost about 1 pound per day. Each morning I felt rewarded for my hard work and suddenly losing all that weight seemed doable. And even though my caloric intake was restricted to two meals of lean meat and fruit and vegetables, I felt satisfied because of the amino blend in the Triumph drops.

Day by day and pound by pound I conquered my weight loss. I lost, 100 pounds, 90 inches, revamped my wardrobe on a couple occasions, and dieted through every holiday and social event imaginable. I survived the HCG Diet, and whats even better: the HCG Diet gave me my life back. I no longer have to worry about living in discomfort, shopping in the plus size section, or not being able to cross my legs and its all thanks to HCG Triumph.

HCG Triumph made me a new person. It has transformed me and hundreds of others completely. Now imagine what it could do for you.

Read More..

High Protein Treats for Phase 3 of the HCG Diet

Im always talking about how awesome Triumph Slim is. Its the best protein shake I have ever tasted and it has been key to my success on the HCG Diet, and its still a key part of my diet now that  Im working to maintain my weight loss.

Last night I finished running and was rummaging through the cupboards for something delicious. Ive been craving chocolate all week, but knew that wouldnt get me the protein I needed to recover from my run....or would it?

Here are three tasty, high protein sweet treats, perfect for post-workout recovery on Phase 3 of the HCG Diet.

Protein Sundae
I had this last night. It was a spur of the moment creation that kicked my chocolate craving in the butt.
1/2 cup plain or honey Greek yogurt (I used honey Greek)
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
A Pinch sliced almonds
Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy right after your workout. This snack has about 12 grams of protein and about 200 calories.

Banana Chocolate Shake
This is my FAVORITE thing to have post run. Its incredible. It does require a blender, but it only takes a few minutes to mix up.

5-6 ice cubes
1/2 c. - 1 c. water
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/2 c. spinach
1 frozen banana
2 tbs peanut butter

Add the ice, then the water, the protein powder, spinach, banana, and peanut butter blend until smooth. Drink immediately. I swear you cant taste the spinach. :) This has a lot more calories than the first recipe, and it should be noted that I use this one as a meal more than a snack. It has 25 grams of protein and about 460 calories.

Berry Pudding
1/2 cup plain or honey Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup fresh berries
A pinch of sliced almonds (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! This has about 12 grams of protein in it and 220 calories in it.

A not about protein powders: not all protein powders are created equal. I prefer a low calorie, natural protein powder like Triumph Slim. Its the best tasting protein powder Ive ever had. I strongly recommend looking in to getting some. It has made my weight loss journey phenomenally better.

Read More..

8 Negative Thoughts Ruining Your Weight Loss

Staying positive while youre on a diet is hard. Especially when you have, what I like to call, a Bad Body Day. You know, the days where your clothes dont seem to fit right, you feel 10 pounds heavier, and all you want to do is lay in bed and spend some quality time with your good buddies Ben & Jerry.

Remember the dressing room scene from White Chicks where Lisa has a complete meltdown? Yeah,  thats a Bad Body Day.

What happens when you have a Bad Body Day in the middle of your diet? If you let it go too far, your negative frame of mind can wreck your progress.Theres no room for negativity in your life if youre trying to lose weight and get healthy. A body transformation comes from self love, not self hate. Here are 8 common thoughts that are ruining your weight loss.

Im starving - Are you starving or are you sad? Theres a big difference. If youre truly hungry, cut up some celery. If celery doesnt sound good, youre not hungry. Youre trying to feed your emotions. Emotional eating leads to indulgence and, often times, overeating.

I cant have that. - Well you can, but you know that its not going to help your diet. Instead of saying, "cant," try saying, "I dont want that." Seriously, try it. Remember that if you really slow down and think about it, you want to be healthy more than you want a cupcake. So dont tell your friends you cant have it. Tell them you dont want it.

I am so fat. - No youre not. Plain and simple. What does that even mean? How can you be fat, youre a

person. You may have some fat, yes, but you also have skin, and bones, and a soul. Instead of, "Im so fat," try, "Im a work in progress. Today is a new day." You still acknowledge that you have room to improve but you dont use any terms that society has created to deem you less of a person.

I cheated, the day is ruined. - If you slip up, it doesnt mean the day is ruined. Just get back on track as soon as you can and  drink a ton of water! Dont dwell in guilt, just move on. You cant undo it, just do better.

I wish I looked like her - Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Youre not that person, you have different body types, different genetics. You are your own person and you dont need to be anyone else. When you compare yourself to some unattainable figure, youre setting yourself up for disappointment. Instead of wanting to be someone else, try naming off one thing you like about your body and one thing you can improve. "I like that I have long legs. Im working on toning them."  Do this every time you find yourself wanting to look like someone else.

I cant do this - With a bad attitude, its hard to accomplish anything. So if you think you cant you wont. Never say cant. You can. You will. Repeat that daily, "I can do this. I will do this."

Im never going to reach my goal - Reaching a goal takes time. It wont happen over night. Set a timeline for yourself. If you know youre losing two pounds every week and youre trying to lose ten pounds, you will reach your goal in 5 weeks. 5 weeks isnt long at all. You can totally do that! Never is a strong word that can be discouraging. Be patient with your weight loss.

I should just give up - No you shouldnt. Youre doing this because you want it. So dont give up on yourself. Ever. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to put effort into being healthy. Instead of giving up, say, "I had a bad day today. Tomorrow will be better. I deserve to be happy and healthy. I deserve to have my dream body."

Bad Body Days happen. Dont let negative thinking get the best of you and your goals. Change those negative thoughts into something positive. Move on. Give yourself some credit for the beautiful person you are and the beautiful person you are trying to become. Youre may be under construction, a work in progress, but you are NEVER a failure.

Are you guilty of saying any of the Bad Body Day phrases?

Read More..

3 Ways Negativity Could Be Ruining Your Diet

I am making efforts in my life to be more positive. Life is just better when I have a smile on my face. I feel better, I eat better, I have better workouts. Overall, being positive is good for my health, and Im not the only one who thinks so. According to an article from Mayo Clinic: 

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health                      benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Lower rates of depression

• Lower levels of distress

• Greater resistance to the common cold

• Better psychological and physical well-being

• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease

• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

•  Increased lifespan 

I am completely serious when I say Im making an "effort." At times being positive is difficult and it takes a lot to see the good in an awful day, but the more effort I put in to being positive, the more I realize that negativity is much like a disease. It starts with something small, maybe a complaint about the way you look in your outfit, then that negativity spreads and what started out as a little complaint turns into an infection of negative, self-doubting, irrational observations. Suddenly, that one little complaint has got you into a negativity funk.

 If youre dieting, this funk can easily throw you off track. Dont believe me? Let me explain. Here are 3 ways negativity could be ruining your diet. 

Its Harder to Recognize Accomplishments
For me, when Im negative, I dwell on the bad so much that I never recognize the good Im doing. For instance, last week I went to the gym and was supposed to do 45 minutes on the treadmill. I got halfway through my workout and I didnt want to keep going anymore. I had a bad day and just wanted to go home. I stopped the treadmill and went to stretch. Initially I was really disappointed in myself for giving up. I felt like a failure. I had two options in this moment, I could choose to feel like a failure and let that keep me from stepping back on the treadmill the next day, or I could take the more positive approach. So thats what I did. I reminded myself that one bad workout is not the end of the world. Plus, Ive come so far! It wasnt until later that night that I realized I had set a new time for running a mile, so even though I didnt finish my entire workout, I still I improved. I never would have recognized this in my moment of negativity.  When I took the time to look at the situation from a different perspective, I realized that I accomplished something amazing!

Take the time to recognize all youve accomplished. Maybe you didnt lose as much weight as wanted to but youre closer to your goal now than you were before you started, right?

Youre More Likely to Engage in Emotional Eating
The pity party. Weve all thrown ourselves one. If you eat when youre mad  or lonely or sad, negativity can be a catalyst to diet cheats. You see, that little negative Nelly that lives inside our heads likes to make us think that being mad will help us feel better, that voice makes us think that we are alone and no one cares, that voice also tells us were not good enough shes wrong! Her observations are based off emotion and not fact. As emotional beings, we try to seek out something to cope with those feelings. Unfortunately that tends to be food. Dont let emotions rule your life! When youre feeling emotional, take just one minute to analyze the facts. The fact is, being mad wont solve your problems. Youre not alone, there are literally dozens of people in this world who care about you. They may not be available at every moment you need them to be, but they still care. You may be sad, but sadness is a temporary emotion, there will be more moments of happiness in your life if you can just get through this small struggle. 


Youre Less Likely to Feel Motivated
Have you ever gotten up in the morning and just wanted to lay in bed for the rest of your life? Youre tired of dealing with work,  youve got a million things on your plate, you just want to close your eyes and escape the chaos. Well, this isnt the best way to start your day! Its hard to get pumped up for an awesome day when all you can think about is how tired you are. Look at each day as an opportunity. Acknowledge that some days are going to be difficult but you are more than capable of making it through. Try this: First thing when you wake up say, "I cant wait to see what challenges I overcome." Isnt that so much better? This statement acknowledges that you may encounter problems, but it also reaffirms your ability to come out on top. Its so much easier to stick to your diet when you start your day with empowering thoughts. 

Bad days are inevitable, but a bad day doesnt mean you have to eat poorly. Staying positive, even when its tough, can make all the difference in your diet! 

What are some ways you pull yourself out of a negativity funk? 

Read More..