Update to my weight. I know this summer has been a tough one for me to stay on track but in the big picture, I think I've actually done really well. So, yesterday I was a whopping 4.8lbs above LDW! Obviously the PIE FEAST FEST went well...and well...staight to my butt!!! I decided to do a yogurt day since I hadn't tried this yet. Here's how it went down. I used Olympic Krema which has 11% M.F. and is done in Greek Style. I consumed a total of 32 ounces of yogurt. I did it in ~1 cup portions every 3 hours starting around 11am. I finished the day with an apple. I also drank lots of water. There are other ways to do this and from what I've read it should actually be done with blueberries instead of an apple and the berries can be used whenever. This is just how I did it. I should say that I thought the yogurt tasted like sourcream until I added 4 drops plain stevia and 3-4 drops vanilla stevia to ~1 cup yogurt. Then it was so good I was literally licking the bowl! There is also information out there that this can be done with the 0% fat yogurt but the results seem to be less than what is seen with full fat. The result of this was an amazing 3lb drop!!!! Hot Damn! I could hardly believe it myself. I checked my water %, it was good, and my fat % was down so this wasn't water weight. It was definetily harder than I find a steak day to be but the results were better. I did go to bed hungry but I'm not complaining today.....worth the one hard day to get back on track. So here I am 1.8 above LDW :) I'll be eating clean until the start of next round. No more pie, lol. (but I froze some for my fat load days hahaha)
Cheers!
CAT  
 
The count down is on...One for my little ones to start school and the other to my round 3. I'm ready! Life is a bit hectic getting everyone organized but I'm loving every moment. As I sit here the last of the summer rays are slipping past me so this is going to be short. I'm taking the kids to the beach instead of the store to get school supplies. How can I pass it up? I'm sure it will rain some day soon and I'll run elbow to elbow with the other parents to the store to buy pencils that get lost and erasers that will become pigs with pins. I won't forget the high quality glue sticks (mine where not and nothing made it home without falling apart first), if there is such a thing! Along with their clothes, gear (back packs/umbrellas/multiple foot wear), and the latest trendy hats, I have to consider what I need....
I have my chicken portions and I'm well stocked in stevia (use it everyday), spry mints (they have a new lemon flavour), Bragg's soy sauce, my hCG (of course!), and protein shakes for those days I do a little too much exercise or just don't want to eat anything on the list. I also have shrimp and Bison in the deep freeze. Just my fruits and veggies and I'm good to go :) Oh...I saved some of the creamy pies from our party for my fat load days..yum yum yum!
What am I forgetting here? I can't think of anything, so it is just a matter of tom visiting and I'm off!
Cheers!
CAT
 
I have a share today...I am preparing for Sunday and of course trying to organize as I go. In checking in on one of my many frequented sites I noticed a comment referring to another site that helps with organizing your home. Odd you say...not to me. I see this sort of thing all the time where I am pondering a dilemma and the answer almost always comes to me. What I have learned is that I need to pay attention so that I hear it! So I followed the lead and went to the site. What a little gem! This site is really motivating me to take this to the next level. The main reason I am sharing this with you is because a common complaint about the hCG diet is how bored people get. Take all that extra time and clean house! If it seems like too much then check out this site to help you find your starting point. I'll also tag it on my links page :) www.flylady.net  
 
To Pie! LOL
Okay, I'm going to wait until September to do round 3. I just have too much on the go and a tickle in my throat that might be a cold. So, I'll wait and try and get in some weight training in the mean time.
I managed to get some of my painting done but it seems like an endless job. I'm about 1/3 of the way there with other things that need doing before the weekend gets here. I think we can say that the floors are finally done! Hubby did the last 2 transition strips on Sunday. Yay! Today I am washing all the floors...not like they'll stay clean long. Some tasks are never ending. Like laundry, is it ever actually caught up? My boxes in the basement are like presents that I open to find long lost treasures I had forgot I even owned! Yesterday I found my baking trays for different shaped cakes. One Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and a Football pan means I have it easy for the next 2 birthdays for my boy. Another box had my store of batteries in it. I knew I had a bunch somewhere! Perhaps the bad weather this summer has been a blessing in disguise.
I'm working on some information on MSM and Biotin. I'll tag it when I'm finished.
Cheers!
CAT
 
*sigh* Guess I'm going to have to move my open house to next weekend. Now I'm not sure if I want to start tomorrow (my weekend is Sunday/Monday) or if I should wait until next weekend. The problem is I can't start next weekend...it will be too close to TOM. So decision time. Start in the next few days or wait until after tom...probably Sept. 8th (ish).  Tough choice. I have until Wednesday before I'm forced to wait for the latter. *sigh*

To Pie or Not To Pie?....that is the question....
 
LDW +2lbs

Well, I'm not sure what I did to deserve a 0.4lb drop but I'll take it!

I have a plan for this weekend....I want to do an open house since we haven't done that yet. We moved into the house in February but there where so many little jobs left that it wasn't worth it to show off the house just yet. Hubby stepped up to the plate this last weekend and I came home to a bunch of new shelves, pictures on the wall, and boxes missing from the floor. I was thrilled...but now I kinda feel like it is my turn. So, Today I paint all those little touch up spots and tonight is transition strips between the tiles and the laminate.

I have a second plan in the works here. Let me explain. A couple weeks back I posted one of those copy/paste posts on my Facebook page. It stated this: "I would like my Facebook friends to comment on this status, sharing how you met me. But I want you to LIE. That's right, just make it up." I offered up a homemade apple pie to the local entry that receives the most "likes" for their story. 85 comments later and I have a winner, lol. So I am dubbing our open house: PIE FEAST FEST (I want to add FIST to this for some strange reason). Now here's the kicker...I'm ready for another round....So you can guess when my load days will be!!!

There you have it! Round 3 is starting on Sunday. I will load on Monday also since I want to go out dancing and drinking on Saturday, one more time before I begin vlcd. I'm excited!!! Pumped!!! Ready to do this!!! Woot! Woot!
Cheers!
CAT 
 
I've been working on my links page. I have found so much information that I want to share but I am trying not to overwhelm everyone with too much! So check it out and see what you think. There is a little bit on everything to do with diet and understanding our choices. We learn so much about our bodies during this diet that it is good to know some of the science behind what our bodies do with the foods we pick and why we are in this boat to begin with. I gave a variety of medias in hopes that I appeal to everyone in some form or another. From short and sweet articles to books and full seminars, I have info for you! LOL okay okay, enough.

Today I'm still up 2.4lbs from LDW. Another .4 and I'll be back in the 'safe zone' I was going to do a yogurt day but I messed it up mid morning with a huge cheese bun. OOPS! So I had hotdogs for lunch and have written the day off....Information doesn't turn off those stupid carb cravings, hey. I'm working on this just like everyone else. What a surprise that I now feel tired and grumpy. I am actually looking forward to the limited diet of the vlcd in my next round to snap me back on track. I think I need a swift kick in the rear. I keep thinking....don't let yourself gain just because you have another round! For every pound I will have to spend anywhere from 1-3 days losing it again. So 3lbs up could cost me a week at the end of my next round! Then on my other shoulder....oh what's a week out of your life!?! LOL Somebody smack me! No no...please don't. I'll strap myself down here. I will have to start posting more since that seems to keep me in better check as I am more accountable to you my reader, raising my sense of responsibility. I thank you :)
Cheers
CAT
 
Okay, I'm back! Wowsers! I feel amazing after my little get away weekend :)) I don't even know where to begin, there was so much good energy. I think I will have to spend some time just processing it all before I can really talk about it. I didn't bring my scale and gee...what a surprise...I'm up a bit. I'm 3lbs above LDW but I'm not doing a steak day since I don't know when the gain happened. Think I'll just suck it up and move on. There is my next round coming up here soon. I haven't set the date yet but I'm thinking once the kids are back in school would be good. Hopefully I can slide my weight back down to 182lbs by then too. I can't stay on and blog too long as I have a ton of laundry to catch up on. I am happy to be back and sleeping in my own, warm, comfy bed.
Cheers
CAT
 
LDW +1.4
I'm slowly creeping it down. I'm just happy I'm staying in the safe zone with such a crazy M this round. Ah, summer, so easy to get off track with the heat. I am so not complaining, lol! My day dreams do look forward to next summer when I will be even thinner and possibly able to wear say....a bikini! I can't see it now but when I look back to just April, I don't think I knew I would look and feel this great for THIS summer.
Now I know that my long curls are a favorite for many but I am seriously considering a short pixie cut. I will still have my curls...just shorter. What do you think? Maybe it's just the heat getting to me.
I leave tomorrow evening for the river and won't be back until Sunday. I hope hubby and the kids don't eat too much take-out. Should I lay bets on laundry and dishes being left undone? Hubby is usually pretty good but with the kids being all his all weekend it wouldn't totally surprise me if he goes on house duty vacation himself! It's all good. What do I care?!? I'm outta here! LOL
I'm packing all my salads and precooked meats so I don't have to worry about cooking and can focus on de stressing. They usually have a truck out there loaded with fatty foods that I might have a bit of but really...I'm there to do some spiritual cleansing so why would I want to eat that? At this point, I don't normally crave the junk anymore anyway. I will be bring some drinks though! I was also considering some popcorn and sprinkling some Nutritional Yeast on it. I bought it the other day but haven't tried it yet. I'll let you know how it tastes. I don't think I have been following any particular rules short of avoiding sugars and weighing every morning. I do allow myself some complex carbs now, like whole wheat bread, but I never do more than 2 slices of bread in a day. Enough on food. I have so much to get done here....
Well, I better get packing! I'm so excited :)) Have A Great Weekend, I know I will!!!
Cheers!
CAT
 
Count down to the Women's Festival!!! I'm so excited. 4 more days...Wooohoo!! I'll have 3 glorious days with no responsibilities. I came home today to find a new hand drum set in my living room and a little note saying "Happy Anniversary!" What a wonderful man I have! We had our anniversary on the same day as my cousin's wedding so we had just left it at that...so I had thought! Now I have a new instrument to bring with me to the Festival! So cool :)) I'll have to get some quick practise in here. My normal instrument of choice is the bass guitar so this should be fun to learn. For those that don't know, drummers and bassist are on the same team in the band acting as the foundation for the rest of the musicians to turn to when things go a bit 'off'. Surprise, to all my readers! You didn't know I was a musician now did you! LOL Aside from singing, I also play the flute! Double surprise, lol, since flute is the most distant of the other instruments that I play. It is also the one that I have done the longest, starting when I was 11 years old (young). I thought about going pro but I don't know what exactly happened. I was young and none too bright at what that career could really have done for me. Ah well. Doesn't mean I have to toss it all out the window. Still fun to jam :)
I've been working on my song for the Friday night open mic but now I'm wondering if I can incorporate the drums into this piece. I'll see what I can do. There is a friend of mine that would like to record it and if I do (and like it) I'll see what I can do about posting it on here. Yikes!
Cheers!
CAT