4 Ways to Spruce up your Salad

Todays blog is dedicated to one of my favorite foods: salad. In my mind, theres nothing better than a bed of romaine lettuce topped with all kinds of goodies. I love salad so much I eat it nearly everyday. 

This love for salad has been an advantage for me as Im losing weight. Not only is it nutritious, but its a great way to fill up while still slimming down. I have had to modify my list of toppings to fit my diet, though. For example, on the HCG diet, dousing my salad in ranch is not really an option. I also have to cut out the cheese, the croutons, the olives, the ham, and the cottage cheese. It may seem to you that cutting these things out ruins the whole thing, it makes it boring.

Well maybe it does make it boring, but there are certain flavor packed, diet friendly toppings you can add in place of the not-so-diet-friendly ones. 

Here are my four favorite HCG friendly salad toppings: 

Salsa - Some people who do the HCG Diet are pretty strict about the mixing vegetables. I personally have never had a problem mixing tomato products with lettuce. Knowing this I set out to find a delicious salsa with no added sugar or oil. :) I didnt have to look to hard because luckily, Pace makes their picante salsa simple and delicious. I use a couple tablespoons on top of my lettuce. 

Franks Hot Sauce - The great thing about using hot sauce on salads is the way spicy foods help me slow down. Because my mouth is burning from hot sauce I usually drink more water and I get fuller faster. Franks Hot Sauce has a great flavor and it doesnt contain sugar or oil. The spicy flavor in combination with chicken and tomato makes a delicious dinner. Just make sure you use the hot sauce and not the wing sauce (it contains oil).

Lime Juice - This is one of the cheapest ways to tantalize your taste buds. I love squeezing half a lime over a bed of lettuce topped with a bit of salsa and lean ground been. Its a healthy taco salad!

Banana Peppers - Now these arent technically on the HCG protocol, but they happen to be one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world. I have to use them in moderation but banana pepper rings fro Mezzetta are packed with tangy flavor that is extremely satisfying on a bed of lettuce with no dressing.

What healthy toppings do you put on your salad? 

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Size Me Up Round 5

Its that time again, Im doing another round of the HCG Diet! Woohoo. I finished my fourth round in March, which means that I havent done the diet in 8 months! Im so nervous. It feels like the first time all over again.

Two months ago, I wasnt planning on doing another round on the HCG Diet. I just wanted to keep running, eating healthy, and maintaining (I have done a pretty good job of maintaining within 5-10 pounds of where I left off in March). While Im not quite at my goal weight, I havent wanted to rush these last 30 pounds. Ive come so far in the last year I wanted to pause the weight loss to enjoy my 100 pound mile mark before hitting the 130 pound mark. And while my heart was set on taking it slow, that has recently changed.

I speak highly of HCG Triumph Drops. Working for this company and using their products has helped me
lose a considerable amount of weight. I blog openly about choosing these drops because they contain the HCG hormone and they arent low-quality, watered down drops. HCG Triumph puts a lot of time into formulating their products. When HCGDiet.com recently added Triumph Hormone Free drops to their website I was interested. Like many in the HCG community, Ive always been skeptic of hormone free drops, but because I have a behind the scenes look at the way HCGDiet.com operates, I know how much thought, time and testing goes into HCG Triumph products. When HCGDiet.com launches a product its because it works well. These drops are hormone free and different than what I am used to, but they are not low-quality or watered down.  I am excited to see what is in them how they work for my body, so even though I wasnt planning on it, I cant contain my excitement. I want to try them! Here we are, Round 5. :)

This round, I am doing it with my boyfriend and a couple of co-workers. We will be using the hormone free drops and Ill do my best to document all the similarities and differences between these drops and the other drops Ive used.

Pre-load weight: 189 lbs
Post-load weight: 194.4 lbs
Goal weight: 175 lbs

Current Pant Size: 14
Current Shirt Size: Womens XL
Current Bra Size: 38D


Today is day one on Phase 2. Its going well so far. I packed my lunch ahead of time and sent a packed lunch with my boyfriend as well (Brandon is getting an extra serving of protein each day so he can workout a bit). Day 1 seems to be going smoothly. I dont feel overly hungry and I dont have a detox headache. Brandon is a little hungry but doesnt seem to be complaining too much. I am documenting what we eat and I am making sure we are keeping to a schedule of eating every 2 hours or so to avoid feeling famished.

My eating schedule today looks something like this:
8:00 a.m. Crio Bru w/ 2 tsp Trulicious
10:30 a.m. Triumph Hormone Free Drops
11:00 a.m. Orange
12:00 p.m. Wasa Bread
1:00 p.m. 3.5 oz chicken, 1 cup broccoli (raw)
2:00 p.m. Triumph Hormone Free Drops
3:00 p.m. Apple
4:00 p.m. 1 cup grape tomatoes
5:00 p.m. Triumph Hormone Free Drops
6:00 p.m. 2 scoops Triumph Slim
Calorie Count: 530

Tomorrow Ill be blogging about the ingredients in Triumph Hormone Free, and Ill look at how they are different from the typical hormone free drops. Be sure to check back!

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Putting Up The Tree

Today I was finally coerced into setting up our Christmas tree.

You see, Ive been dragging my feet. a lot. I just havent wanted to bother with it at all this year, but for the kids, I did it.

So this cold Saturday afternoon, I hauled my ass out to the shed, and dug through the countless bins to find what Christmas decorations I could actually handle putting up this year. What came out with me was the HUGE tree box, and 3 bins of lights, ornaments, stockings and a few decor items. I just couldnt do anymore. I think I have another couple bins in there, but I did not want to bother putting them up this year. I decided to simplify.

We spent an entire afternoon putting up the tree and decorating. I was dreading putting up the tree. Absolutely dreading it. You see, I have NEVER put the tree up by myself. Not once. There has always been family there, or Barry when he was home to help with it.

November of 2001 was when we bought this tree. Weve had it for 8 years now! I remember walking through Wal Mart with Barry when the twins were just babies, and I said to him we should get a smaller tree. But No, he INSISTED we get the biggest and tallest tree we could, just so wed never have to buy another. So $80 later, we came home with this 7.5 foot tall, 5 feet wide at the base, monstrosity of a tree. And we still have it. And its not pre-lit. sigh. Putting the lights on is the most challenging thing. I could have done more, but I settled for only 3 strands this year. I just couldnt do more as I despise putting on the lights.

In 2002, when E was just brand new, my sister was visiting us, and we actually all put the tree up on Christmas Eve. That was the day that Barry interviewed for his 2nd to last job at McLane Northwest, which he was hired for. We didnt get home that night till really really late, so we all pitched in and did it late Christmas eve. That was also the day that V said the "f" word for the first time, LOL. Ahhh such memories of Xmas 2002!! 2003 Barry was home, and we did it all together. 2004, I dont remember much of that, but Im pretty sure my mom and sister were there (By then Barry was working for his "current" job, and was already over the road). 2005 we were at our first home, and my mom/sister and I did it together, same for 2006 when A was a baby. 2007 and 2008 were also subsequent years with my mom and sister, as we almost always did it Sinter Klaas weekend. Last year, 2008, my sister did most of it with me and she did a horrible, HORRIBLE, job. After her and my mom left, I actually took off ALL the decorations, all the lights, and re-fluffed the tree. Then I put everything back on, after buying more lights. I know she is reading this, and her and I had a good laugh about that tonight. She is a horrible tree fluffer, just horrible. I still love you though Mafido!

This was my very first year putting it together on my own without any help, and I was scared. Just because it was the first time doing it without anyone, and the tree is not always easy to put together. I was cursing myself because I couldnt figure out what went were, but half way through assembling it, I found the diagram that Barry drew for me last year. I breathed a sigh of relief as I found that piece of paper, and tucked it safely into an ornament box for using next year, silently thanking him for doing that.

Now our tree is up, it looks beautiful and is our usual mish-mash of balls, homemade ornaments, bought ornaments, and my extensive collection of Hallmark ornaments. It was a bit emotional putting up the tree, remembering all these ornaments I had bought over the year. Seeing the first ones I had made for this tree, ones I had made for Barry, the one he made for E when she was just a baby, and crying softly while putting some of them on. A new addition to our tree this year was one special ornament I bought for him in October after he passed. A special spot on the tree, front and center, was reserved just for this ornament:


On the back it says "The true testament of a life well-lived is the love we leave behind".

That certainly is true.


******someone asked me where I purchased this ornament. I got it at Hallmark*********

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Size Me Up HCG Round 4

Well, its time to start my fourth, and hopefully last, round of HCG! I am so pleased with my progress thus far. After my last round, I was able to maintain a total loss of over 80 pounds!

The stakes seem a bit higher this time, and thats probably because theres more on the line than my health. Let me explain...

If I lose 35 pounds in the next 38 days, I will receive a $1000 shopping spree! :) I know that I can do this, and I know if I dont hit that goal Ill regret it. So its time to get down to work!

My starting weight this morning was 205 pounds. 170 is the magical $1000 number that Im going to get to. 

As of today, this is me:

Heres a list of my measurements:
Height - 53"
Weight - 205 pounds
Thigh - 24.5"
Hips/Stomach - 44.5"
Waist - 34.5"
Arms - 13"
Bust - 41"

And now to compare.....

When I first started my HCG journey, June 2012, I weight 285.6 pounds. Since then Ive lost 80.6 pounds, and over 50 inches! I went from a size 24 to a 14.

I know Ive come a long way, and I wouldnt have been able to do it without the support of my co-workers, friends, family, and last but not least my readers. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for that.

 Each day is a unique challenge. I remember being so terrified to start the diet. I was worried about failing, I was worried about it being too hard. Turns out, it is hard. But every uneaten scoop of ice cream, every tear, and every pound have been so incredibly rewarding.

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Size me up Round 3

Its here! :) Today is R3P2D1. Ive weighed in, measured, and hit the ground running. So far Im feeling good other than a minor headache.

I finished round two at 225.6 lbs.
I weighed in after three days of loading at 229.2 lbs.

Here are my current measurements:
Calf: 18.5"
Thigh: 25"
Hips/Stomach: 48.5"
Waist: 37"
Bust: 43"
Arm: 14.5" 

My goal for this round is 30 pounds. I am going to exercise more than I did in the last round. Ill be focusing on toning a few of my trouble spots and walking. I wont workout like a did in Phase 3, but I definitely want to avoid loose skin if at all possible.



 Onederland here I come!

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FEED YOUR BABY 7 UP!

I just found these great (great?) ads from the days of old, when we were told that sugar was health food.  You can find more ads like this here.

The small print on this one says: "Babies who start drinking soda have a higher chance of fitting in during those awkward pre-teen years. Start them on a strict regimen of cola and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness!"

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BODY FAT DOWN LEAN MASS UP NUTRITIONAL KETOSIS AND WEIGHT LIFTING UPDATE

Here is an update on how things are going in the past two weeks:

Basically, up and down.  I did do some water fasting, some fat fasting and some Low Carb High Fat eating.  My weight has fluctuated up and down.  I have more pounds of lean mass than when I started, and Im sure that the weight lifting is responsible for that.

I have not been tracking food very much, and I think that is the reason that I have gained some body fat.  I just cant seem to be able to keep my weight under control unless I track every bite of food that goes in my mouth.  Its like I have a mental block about it!

Here is where I started five weeks ago:

July 15, 2015
Neck - 12"
Bust - 36"
Waist - 31.75"
Belly - 39.75"
Hips - 40.25"
Thigh - 22.5"
Calf - 14.25"
Scale weight - 146.2 pounds
Body fat - 52.7 pounds - 36%
Lean mass - 93.5 pounds - 64%

 

Here is where I am now:

August 16, 2015
Neck - 12"  (no change)
Bust - 35.75"  (lost 1/4")
Waist - 31.5"  (lost 1/4")
Belly - 39.625"  (lost 1/8")
Hips - 39.875"  (lost 3/8")
Thigh - 22"  (lost 1/2")
Calf - 14.125"  (lost 1/8")
Scale weight - 146.2 pounds  (no change)
Body fat - 51.6 pounds - 35.3%  (lost 1.1 pounds)
Lean mass - 94.6 pounds - 64.7%  (gained 1.1 pounds)

 

I still need to lose 10.8 pounds of fat and gain 0.6 pounds of muscle to reach my goal of 136 pounds with 30% body fat.

 

Here are a few charts.  These charts actually go back to April, because that is when I started weighing and measuring and tracking my food again after a long break of keeping track.  So only the last five weeks of that have to do with my recent posts.

 

 

 Here is my chart that shows the progress Im making with The Big Five weight lifting routine according to Body By Science:

 For each of these exercises, I am attempting to reach total muscle failure in less than 90 seconds.  Each time I reach failure that way, I increase the weight by 10% the next time I lift.  The column to the right of the column for 8/12/2015 shows the weights I will use the next time I go in, which will be 8/19/2015.

Anyway, thats where Im at this week.  Onward and Downward!  And thanks for reading!

 

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Awkward Christmas Photo Contest

We all have a hidden stash of awkward Christmas photos. Whether its your kid freaking out about sitting on Santas lap or modeling that awful Christmas sweater your aunt gave you, its time to pull em out and share them for the whole internet to see. Trust me, it could pay off. 

HCG Triumph is having an awkward family photo contest where they are giving the winner a prize pack of health goodies worth over $350. It is so easy to enter.

 1. Just go to their Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram profile.

 2. Like/Follow. Upload your pic or pictures (post it to their wall if youre posting on FB) 

 3. Add the hashtag #HCGTriumphHoliday and a description of the photo. 

Boom. Entered. 

For the official rules, go here. 

Contest submissions will no longer be accepted after December 31st, 2013. Make sure you get your photo submitted! :) 

 

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Happy Anniversary Sexy Man!!

10 Years ago today, local Wiesbaden time at 9:30/10AM, I was saying my vows and married Barry in Germany. I had no friends there, just his buddies, and I wore a silver ball gown. But when he put that ring on my finger and said "yes", I was the happiest woman on earth. Barry you were a wonderful husband and I will always, always, love you and miss you. Happy 10th Anniversary Darling!!! ? BNB

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