Fat Men Can't Jump: My Personal HCG Journey: July 2011

View just outside our camper - Rocky Mountain High!

Hello and welcome back HCGers! It has been a while - too long in fact - since the last update. I apologize for taking so long to update the blog, but as most of you know, we packed up the family sedan Clark Griswold style and headed to Colorado for a family vacation at the beginning of July. We had a great time. We enjoyed some nice cool, comfortable weather, saw some really great attractions and also got to spend some really good time with our extended family. Plus, as a bonus, there were no trips to the emergency room or auto garage - so that alone makes the Miller Summer Vacation 2011 a great success. How awesome is Colorado in the Summer? Man, when you leave the sweltering heat of Texas it seems like heaven. We started our trip camping out with Stacy's family at Fun Valley just outside South Fork and had a really nice time. We brought in the 4th just hanging out by the Rio Grande River. The kids loved it because they were able to ride their bikes and float the river. While there we also took an excursion over to Creede Colorado and that is a very unique town indeed. After about a week there, we went to stay with my sister Donna and her husband in their unbelievable log home in the mountains. They were such great host! We spent a couple of days in Colorado Springs as we visited the Royal Gorge and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. If you ever get the chance - the Zoo is a must! We are back home and trying to figure out just why we left as we sit and watch Texas dry up and burn!

Gotta take your kids to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

Grizzlies at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - what a show they put on!

Hey, how about those Rangers? The only thing hotter than this club is perhaps the Texas afternoons. Win streak is getting ridiculous now and they are starting to put some real distance between themselves and the Angels. A series win against the Angels this week could really put them in a good position heading down the stretch. It has been pretty fun to be a Dallas sports fan the past year with the Rangers run last year, the Mav's winning it all, and now it seems the Rangers are gearing up for another playoff run. Uh . . . let's see what's missing here?? Oh I know - where are Jerry and the boys??? Hopefully the Cowboys are taking good notes the past year and get themselves back on top. We shall see . . .

Ok, how is the HCG protocol going? I have realized a couple of things since the last post regarding the diet. First, make sure that you are not leaving those drops outside in your car during the heat. Doing so would certainly make the hormones inactive and it would not take very long to do so. If you are having to travel with your drops, you may want to take a small cooler to place them in to keep them at room temprature. Another thing, always slap the bottom of the bottle a few times to active the hormones before each dosage. Next, it is very hard to maintain the protocol, especially phase 2, when traveling. It is possible, but it requires a lot of planning and preparation to do so. So, if you are out of town, and get caught in a situation where you have to eat something that is not allowed, don't beat yourself up too bad. Just get back on the path as soon as possible, but don't just stop with the phase - just pick it back up when you can.

I have a great new recipe for you maintenance phase folks that is really great, especially if you like eggs. This recipe comes from my awesome sister Donna, who was our gracious host in Colorado. Her nickname is "Shorty," therefore I will coin this recipe "Shorty's Baked Eggs:"
INGREDIENTS:
Organic Raw Eggs
Raw Spinach
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Diced Onions (optional)
Crumbled Bacon (optional)
PREPARATION:
preheat oven to 350 degrees
spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray
line muffin pan with raw spinach
crack eggs and empty into lined muffin pan
sprinkle cheddar cheese, onions and bacon on top of egg
cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees
*if you like your eggs over easy 10 minutes is just right, but if you like them a little more firm, you may want to leave them in longer
**you can do a scrambled egg version as well by simply scrambling the eggs prior to putting them in the muffin pan and cooking them for 20 minutes

Lined and filled muffin pan . . .

after baking 10 minutes at 350 . . .

Final product - great maintenance breakfast!

Before I go, I have to say a special congratulations to my mom, Mary Miller. Last evening in Midland, Plains Marketing, honored her for 30 years of service with a great appreciation dinner. I was only 13 years old when she began working for the oil transport company. We are so very proud of her and she has provided an excellent example of loyalty and work ethic for myself and my kids. Thanks and congrats Mom! Next blog will be in a couple days and I will introduce everyone to some new HCGers from the last Trade Days at McKinney and also unveil my upcoming exercise project. Now that I have lost significant weight, I hope I am able to begin a intense workout regiment once again - we shall see. I believe I will also spotlight the newest suspects from the D.A.P. (Dear Annoying Personality) files to share with you. It is indeed amazing the strange things you can see and witness on a two week vacation. Everyone drop some pounds and try to stay cool - see the pic below - Case and Point!