He Used to be Soooooo Cute . . .

Harley - the beginning of a BEAST

now he is simply a "beast" that destroys backyards!  This morning I summoned up the courage to work in Harley's "war zone," which we used to know as our backyard.  Harley is coming up on his 1st birthday and according to the chart in our vet's office that mean's he is the human equivalent of a 14 year old boy and that might explain he attempts to destroy anything and everything he can get his chops on.  Well, after chewing up my old barbeque grill, electric smoker, patio seat cushions, rain gutters, half of our porch door and breaking patio glass table, oh and let's not forget about the moon-sized craters he has dug in the yard (it looks like we have been taking incoming artillery), I tried to remove everything from the back yard that he could further destroy.  But, silly me, I forgot to remove all the FREAKING TREES.  Yep, he is working on chewing down our trees and doing a pretty good job at it (see evidence).



Are you kidding me??

 He jumps up and wraps his front legs around a limb until it breaks or sags down enough for him to get his "jaws of life" around it and chew it off.  Then, he shifts into "shredder" mode and dispenses the wood chips all over the place.  On the bright side, we may not have to purchase any mulch for flower beds this spring.  Hopefully, he will grow out of this.  Supposedly his breed of shepherd gets out of this restless and destructive phase at a year and half and becomes more protective and that would be fine.  I thought it would be nice to have a dog that actually protects my family and property instead of eat them!!


Not so cute anymore . . .


Weighed in this mornig at 172lbs and I only have one more day in my 21-day maintenace phase and then it is on to what the diet protocol calls the "life phase."  More on this later.  Here was my maintenance diet for yesterday.  Everything was about the same, except I did not have eggs for breakfast and I ate a very late supper around 10:30 pm, which you need to avoid if at all possible. 

Breakfast:  8oz. grilled porkchop - 210
                    med. Gala apple - 80

Snack:  1 med. plum - 45
             1 kosher dill pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  1 grilled, skinless chicken leg - 130
              4 leafs of red lettuce - 20
             WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              1 med. Gala apple - 80

Snack:  2 hard boiled egss - 140
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med. Gala apple - 80

Dinner:  9oz. Grilled Top Sirloin steak - 450
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               2 cups of Spring Mix salad - 20
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 Gala apple - 80

Total Calories:  1440

10 Quotes in 10 Days from Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Office Manager himself (A Farewell Tribute to Michael Scott):

"People ask me, would you rather be feared or loved, um easy, I want people to be afriad of how much they love me"

Where is Oscar Wilde When You Need Him???

Please "crash" the Royal Wedding!!!

Ok, is it just me,and if it is, that's ok I'll accept being a grump, but I have a feeling there is quite a few red-blooded Americans out there like me that just don't give rat's behind about the "Royal Wedding" and are sick and tired of hearing about it.  Is there anything more pretentious than the British and the circus they try to create over their royalty?  Well, perhaps - THE AMERICAN MEDIA WHO COVERS THIS CRAPOLA LIKE IT IS REAL NEWS and yes, that is you Matt(Pretty Boy) Lauer.  Boy, would Oscar Wilde have a good time with our mainstream media, and I'm sure he would have some marvelous epigrams and sarcastic quips at the expense of the Royal Family and their pompous weddings.  I'm racked my brain on the drive into work this morning trying to come us with the some good things that have actually come from "across the pond" and I could not come up with many.  I mean after paying homage to the Beatles, Monty Python, and Michael Cain, I'm really struggling to think of anything from England that I think has made any significant contribution to our great American Culture - of course I'm sure there might be a couple things I have missed.  So today, in honor to all those Americans who could care less about the Royal Wedding and are tired of having it force-fed to us, I shall do two things:  1)Read me some Oscar Wilde; and 2) watch a couple of scenes from that American Classic - Wedding Crashers.  Too bad, Vaughn and Wilson couldn't take their act over to England to spread some good ol' American flair to the British - that would make them Royal Wedding Crashers!!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5_bIiWR0nM&feature=related  - enjoy!!

Well my weight is staying stabilize - 171.5lbs this morning and that was after a wonderful ribeye steak, some Jalepeno Sausage Bombers and a marvelous grilled chicken leg (all done on the Big Green Egg,) for dinner last night.    Here was the rest of the diet from yesterday: 

Breakfast:  3 Egg omelet w/onions, baby spinach leaves and 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese:  340
                    1 med. Gala apple - 80

Snack:  1 med plum - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  1 skinless, boneless grilled chicken thigh - 110
              4 leafs of red lettuce - 20
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med. orange - 80

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med gala apple - 80

Dinner:  8oz. grilled Ribeye Steak - 440
               2 cups of Spring Mix salad - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               2 Jalepeno Sausage Bomb - 60
               1 med. orange - 80

Total Calories:  1520

10 Quotes in 10 Days from Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Office Manager himself (A Farewell Tribute to Michael Scott):
"I'm an early bird and a night owl. So I'm wise and I have worms."

Curtain Call for a Sitcom Legend . . .

Cultural icon says goodbye tonight 

Tonight marks the end for Steve Carell's role as Michael Scott on the sitcom The Office.  In this the 7th season of the show, Michael Scott, leaves as Branch Manager of Dunder Mifflin.  I have been a huge Office fan since the beginning and numerous times, like nearly every episode, Michael Scott has made me laugh out loud.  Has anyone ever owned a role, like Carell has owned this one?  It would be hard to find anyone that has done it better.  So, it will be with great sadness, admiration, and gratitude that I watch the last Office episode with Michael Scott.  He has made my Thursday evenings very enjoyable for many years!!  - "That's what she said!"   I have copied a link of a YouTube video tribute to some of the funnier things Michael Scott said on the show - it is a few minutes long, but if you have the time, it will surely give you a few laughs.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmxgNa2C_Rs&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

This morning I weighed in at 171.5, so I am feeling really good about my metabolism settling and establishing it's burn rate at the weight for me.  I'm keeping my calories to around 1500 per day and working out 3 times a week.  Here was my maintenance diet for yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 eggs fried in organic EVO - 210
                    6oz. grilled pork chop - 210
                    1 med Gala apple - 80

Snack:  1 med. plum - 45 cal
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  8oz grilled Ribeye steak - 260
              4 leafs of lettuce - 20
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              1 cup of honey dew melon - 65

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Dinner:  8oz boneless skinless grilled chicken breast - 240
               2 cups of Herb Mix salad - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 Jalepeno Sausage Bomb (the BOMB) - 60
               1 med orange - 80

Snack:  1 med gala apple - 80
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Total Calories:  1555

10 Quotes in 10 Days from Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Office Manager himself (A Farewell Tribute to Michael Scott):
"I'm an early bird and a night owl. So I'm wise and I have worms."

Taking My Drops to Town - "Step Right Up Folks . . ."

Will the top hat be too much selling HCG Drops?

Well, I found out yesterday that I have a booth reserved at the McKinney Trade Days for May, so I will be peddling the HCG Drops and Protocol.  I hope to get a little bit more exposure and expand my market a bit so I can tell more people about HCG and its effectiveness.  This will be the first time I have done anything like this, so I am quite nervous because I'm sure I can find numerous ways to screw it up.  The Trade Days will be May 13-15, so if you go, make sure you drop by my booth on Henderson and say "hi," or better yet get some of your friends out there to purchase some drops!

TAKS is the word on the block this week for teachers and students which makes up our entire household.  Myles was quite nervous taking his first TAKS test, but came home today and said it was "easy" - we shall see.  Claire, who aced her earlier two assessments, takes her test on Thursday, but is a seasoned vetran of the TAKS game and is treating this like any other week of school.

Weighed in this morning at 171.5, so I'm holding steady.

Here was my maintenance phase diet for yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 egg omelet w/spinach, red onions, green onions, and 1 slice of cheese - 255
                    1/2 link of Johnsonville Italian sausage (mild) - 135
                    1 cup of Honey Dew - 65

Snack:  1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med. plum - 45

Lunch:  8oz. 93/7 Ground Turkey Patty - 340
             4 leafs of red lettuce - 20
             WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
             1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med orange - 80

Snack:  1 kosher pickle spear - 5
             1 hard boiled egg - 70

Dinner:  2 skinless, bonless grilled chicken thighs - 220
              2 cups of Herb Mix salad - 20
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med. Gala apple - 80 

Snack:   1 med orange - 80

Total Calories:  1520

Spring Thunderstorms and "Albert" the Cardinal . . .

Meet Albert



Spring captured outside our window . . .

 This little guy has decided to make the trees just outside our kitchen window his afternoon home.  He must see his reflection in the window and think that it is another Cardinal because he keeps coming up and bumping the window with his beak over and over again.  Pretty cool because we live in Melissa and their mascot is indeed the Cardinals.  I have named him Albert after the St. Louis Cardinal's slugger Albert Pujos.  As soon as the storms cleared through here yesterday, he was banging on our windows.  Speaking of storms, how about the Spring we are having.  I love the moisture and wish West Texas could get some of it, I just hope they don't cause too much damage.

Yesterday marked the beginning of my last week on maintenance and Stacy begin her 3-week maintenance yesterday as well.  I am continuing to work out with weights 3 times a week and I'm thinking that allows me to eat a few more calories a day without seeing a gain.  I can tell you for certain that it is making me extremely sore!!  This morning I weighed in at 171lbs which in the range I want to be. Anyway here was my maintenance diet yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 eggs fried in organic EVO - 210
                    8oz grilled porkchop - 210
                    1 med. Gala Apple - 75

Snack:  1 med. plum - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  8oz. 96/4 lean ground beef patty - 280
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              4 leafs of green lettuce - 20
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med. orange - 70

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
              1 med. Gala apple - 75

Dinner:  2 skinless boneless grilled chicken thighs - 220
               2 cups of Herb Mix salad - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 cup of honey dew melon - 65

Snack:  1 cup of 99% fat free Beef Broth - 15

Total Calories:  1480

Last Week of Maintenance Begins Today

One more week of maintenance and then I begin what is called the "life phase" of the HCG diet, which is no diet at all.  Hopefully my metabolism has been reset to the weight I am currently at and will remain there as long as I eat moderately and wisely.  We shall see - it will be very interesting to see what happens. 

Stacy, Claire and Myles all made it home yesterday despite meeting some stormy weather - pretty good thunder boomers around North Dallas last night.  But they arrived safely and it is good to have them back home.  Stacy was doing a "Steak Day" on her last day of the drops phase and was starving when she got home.  I was happy to be able to furnish her with a nice, juicy New York Strip, grilled on The Big Green Egg.  We enjoyed a couple of steaks for a late supper.  I made grilled some Jalepeno Sausage Bombs as well on the Egg last night and they were delicious as well.  I have put the recipe for the Sausage Bombs on the Recipes page - but pleased be warned that they are addictive and only for the maintenance phase only. 

I weighed in at 171lbs today which is inside the 2lb window so I enter this last week optimistic I am able to stay with in a range of 170-173lbs. 

Here was my diet yesterday: 

No Breakfast - got up too late!!

Lunch:  2 grilled skinless boneless chicken thighs - 220
              4 leafs of green lettuce - 20
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med orange - 80

Snack:  1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med. Gala apple - 80

Dinner (pic below):  10oz grilled NY Strip Steak - 450
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               4 Jalepeno Sausage Bombs (recipe on recipe page) - approx 250 cal
               1/4 cup of green onions and 1/4 cup of red onions - 20
               1 med. orange - 80

Total Calories:   1260




NY Strip & Sausage Bombs from the Big Green Egg!



Happy Easter . . . Mavericks Choke Again . . . and Ranger Back on Track . . .

Ribeyes searing at 700 degrees - Nutritional Nirvana!!

Played golf yesterday in a 4-man scramble with 3 great guys:  Liberty golf coach Shannon Glidwell; Liberty Associate Principal, Scott Warstler; and my cousin Mike Vinson.  We shot a respectable 10 under 62 in a very strong wind.  I thought my days of playing spring golf in the wind were over when I left West Texas - apparently not.  But, unfortunately we did not finish in the money - but nonetheless we had a good time.  Thanks to all of those gentlemen for playing.  After that I watched the DFW sports teams.  First I witnessed the Mavericks execute their normal playoff "choke" routine in which they wasted a 23-point second half lead to lose to Portland.  I don't know if they can recover from that to win the series or not.  Then, I watched the Rangers beat the Royals.  Pretty good day all-in-all, except that I missed my family as they are out of town visiting our family back in Lubbock.  Can't wait for them to return. 

I had an interesting day in terms of my diet yesterday.  Breakfast was normal, but then I had some barbeque for lunch at the golf tournament and then a big ol' steak for dinner.  I figured that I had too much beef and that my calorie count might prompt me to gain a pound or two, but to my surprise, I got on the scales and LOST 3lbs yesterday.  I weighed in at 169.5 this morning - what the heck!?  I will eat normal today and if I don't gain a couple more pounds to my stabilized weight, I will do a steak day on Monday - darn - I would hate that!!! 

Here was my diet yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 fried eggs in organic EVO - 210
                    6oz. grilled pork chop - 210
                    1 med Gala apple - 80

Snack:  1 plum - 45

Lunch:  2 pieces of smoked brisket  - 120
              1 smoked chicken thigh - 110

Snack:  1 med Fuji apple - 80
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Dinner:  8oz. grilled Ribeye steak - 440
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              2 cups Spring Mix - 20
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 med orange - 80 cal

Snack:  1 Fuji apple - 80

Total Calories:  1530

Steaks with a Legend . . .

The Mighty Nathan Stone sweeping in for another 2points for the Eagles (Circa 2003)

Last evening, Nathan Stone, one of my former players from Roosevelt High School ,came over and I grilled some big ol' juicy ribeyes and Italian sausage and it made for a great evening.  Nathan graduated from Texas Tech, where he played football, and is now working for a Oil and Gas Company in Plano.  He just moved here last weekend from Lubbock and I was excited to meet up with him and catch up.  What a great young man he has turned out to be.  He is undoubtedly, the fiercest competitor I have ever coached and it payed off for us both (check the picture below).  It was great visiting with him and good to have him close by. 

Because I knew Nathan was coming over and steaks would be on the grill, I decided to do a Steak Day during the day.  I knew I would be eating a large steak at night, so I thought I may as well just treat it like a steak day so I wouldn't throw my stabilization off.  So during the day, all I had was two hard boiled eggs at lunch and an apple.  Then last night, I had a 12oz. Ribeye and a couple of links of Italian Sausage and some cantelope.  I felt very full after eating, and I figured I had put a few pounds on, because the steak and sausage filled me up quite well.  To my amazement, I actually lost a pound this morning on the scales.  I'm still within the 2 pound window, so I won't have to do another steak day - DARN!!  I really like Steak Days - I wish everyday was a steak day.  The Big Green Egg is awesome and produced some really juicy steaks.  I seared them for about 90 seconds on each side at 700 degrees!!!  The tempratures you can achieve in this grill is awesome and really does well when cooking steaks.  Now, I'm off to play in a golf tournament, so hopefully I will report back with good news from the links.  I am back to a regular maintenance day diet today.  Oh, by the way, shout out to my wondeful wife and kids who headed home to Lubbock this weekend - I miss them already.  Love yall, have fun and be careful.  Over and out!!




Nathan and his teammates (Terrell Green/Ky Thomas) collected quite collection of hardware while playing at Roosevelt.  Thanks for the memorie Nate!



Fat Men Can't Jump: My Personal HCG Journey: It's Official - I'm an "EGGHEAD!"

Fat Men Can't Jump: My Personal HCG Journey: It's Official - I'm an "EGGHEAD!": "  My Brand New Toy - The Big Green Egg!!   Well, after quite a bit of research and visiting with grilling experts, I have purchased..."

It's Official - I'm an "EGGHEAD!"



My Brand New Toy - The Big Green Egg!!

 Well, after quite a bit of research and visiting with grilling experts, I have purchased a backyard big boy toy - "The Big Green Egg," which is an awesome ceramic style grill.  And of course I couldn't wait to fire it up and experiment last night and I am happy to say that my first attempt on the Egg resulted in succulent Ribeyes that Claire and I enjoyed immensely (see pictures below).  I have a feeling I will be doing some grilling this weekend and experimenting with my new toy.  Check out the many website and forums about the Egg if you are interested.  If you like to grill out, this may be something you want to check out.

Still maintaining my weight at 172lbs, which is very good because I had a few more calories than normal yesterday - I went over 1600 for the first time since on maintenance. 


Here is was my diet yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 egg w/baby spinach and 1 slice of colby jack cheese - 290
                    1 med. Fuji apple - 80

Snack:  1 med plum - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  3 grilled skinless boneless chicken thighs - 330
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              2 cups of spring mix salad - 20
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
              2 kosher pickle spears - 10

Dinner:  8oz Grilled Ribeye Steak (ON THE EGG!!!) - 440
               2 cups of herb mix salad - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 med Fuji apple - 80

Snack:  1 med orange - 80

Total Calories:  1620

Seared for 90 seconds at 600 degrees

BEEF . . . it's what's for DINNER!

                     

My Daughter is Awesome!!!!

My Smart and Talented Claire "Bear"

I will be braggin a little bit today folks, and rightfully so, because my precious daughter, Claire, "aced" her the Math and Reading portions of the 5th grade TAKS Test.  That's right - she scored 100 on both sections and Stacy and I are so proud of and for her.  She takes school very serious and it has been an absolute joy to watch her excel in her studies.  I may well be able to add up the total of all the test I ever took in school and still not be close to a "100," so obviously the apple fell very fall from the tree in this case.

This morning I weighed in at the exact same weight, so I feel good about my body stabilizing and setting its metabolism to this specific weight. 

Also, be sure and check out the "other's stories" page as I have posted a great HCG experience from my neighbor - really awesome story and convincing pictures as well.

Here was my diet yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 fried eggs in organic EVO - 210
                    4oz. grilled porkchop - 140
                    1/2 cup of cantelope - 25

Snack:  1 med plum - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  8oz. grilled skinless chicken breast - 220
              2 cups of herb mix salad - 20
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
              1 med. Fuji apple - 80

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Dinner:  8oz. grilled sirloin steak - 340
               4 leafs of red lettuce - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 large peach - 60 cal

Snack:  med. Fuji apple - 80

Total Calories - 140

Baseball quote of the day - "We were given a choice.  We can either run around the field three times or run around Tommy Lasorda once."  - Steve Sax, on formerly overweight Lasorda.

Lost a Pound . . .???

The HCG Diet fully explained . . .

Well, I lost a pound yesterday while on maintenance, but I stayed within the 2 pound window, so no need to concern myself.  I did start working out on Monday, so I may try to add 100-150  more calories each day to keep the my weight stable.  In other news, Rangers lost their first home game last night, but at least they did it in style (15-4).  Last night I did some reading from Kevin Trudeau's book entitled "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About."  This is a great read if you are considering the HCG diet or currently on it because it describes in detail Dr. Simeon's diet protocol.  There is some really good information about the diet in the book.  This was the primary book that my wife, Stacy, read as she researched the diet before we began the diet.  It was, in fact, Stacy who did all the reading and research leading up to the diet and I was very skeptical and doubtful that I could follow such a strict diet protocol.  Nonetheless, Stacy's knowledge gained from the book helped us out tremendously when we started out the diet.  The book also goes into some conspiracy theories about the food and medical industry and how it wants to keep Americans fat.  I don't know how much of that I buy into, but I do think all the information and research the author has done on Simeon's HCG diet is dead on.  A worthy read if your considering this diet.
Here is a good tidbit (did I just say "tidbit??" of info from the book about apples:  try to eat at least two apple a day because they are such a good source of protein and fiber, plus they really prime your metabolism.  I have really develop a fondness for apples since beginning the diet.  Some of my favorites are Gala and Fiji. I try to have one for breakfast and before going to bed. 

Here is a breakdown of my meals yesterday while on the maintenance phase:

Breakfast:  3 egg omelet w/baby spinach leafs and 1 slice of colby jack cheese - 290
                    1/2 Gala apple - 40

Snack:  1 md. plum - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  2Skinless, boneless grilled chicken thighs - 330
              2 cups of Herb Mix salad - 20
              WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
             1 kosher pickle spear - 5
             1 cup of cantelope - 50

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
         
Dinner:  8oz 96/4 extra lean ground beef patty - 300
               4 leafs of red lettuce - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 large orange - 100

Snack:  1 med Gala apple - 80

Total Calories:  1455

Baseball quote of the day - "I have to watch my playing weight.  But the problem is that I don't know what my playing weight is.  I never play."  - Bob Ucker

Good Day Yesterday All Around!

Little Boys - The Essence of Baseball

As Mondays go, yesterday is good as you can get I suppose.  Day started out with a weight that confirmed I was still maintaining my current weight and showing signs my system is stabilizing and trying to set its metabolism.  I also started working out with weights again yesterday and that was a good thing as despite the fact that I a little sore today and expect to be the next few days.  I plan on lifting weights three times a week and will be interested to see what my weight does combining it with the maintenance phase.  On another good note from yesterday, I hit a bucket of balls at driving range and may have . . . I said may have figured something out with my swing - or at least I did for hour or so yesterday.  Then it was off to Myles's baseball game that the Mighty Cardinals won 9-2.  Myles played really well as he pitched two strong innings, doubled, drove in two runs, and also scored twice.  Is there anything better than baseball to capture the essence of a little boy??? I think not!! Speaking of baseball, the Rangers won against the Angels last night, and I also found and old book of mine that Stacy gave me on our 2nd anniversary in 1994 called "Baseball Shorts" that has some of the best one-liners about baseball and I laughed out loud reading back over some of the quotes. Thus, since it is baseball season, I will be leaving you with quotes from the book from time-to-time.  And finally, I got around to putting together a storage closet in the garage that has been collecting nothing but dust and spider eggs.  It took me a while because I have no, and I mean NO engineering talents at all - so putting together a sandwhich can be challenge for me.  Ok, that is enough about a great Monday and on to what I eat yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 eggs fried in organic EVO - 210
                    4oz. grilled porkchop (bone in) - 140 
                   1/2 of a Gala apple - 40

Snack:  1 med. plum - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
             
Lunch:  8oz. 96/4 extra lean ground beef patty - 280
             4 leafs of red-leaf lettuce - 20
             WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
             1 kosher pickle spear - 5
             1 large peach - 60

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70 cal
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Dinner:  8oz. grilled chicken breast - 240
               2 cups of herb mix salad - 20
               WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 cup of cantelope - 55 cal

Snack:  1/2 of Gala apple - 40

Total Calories - 1330

BASEBALL SHORT OF THE DAY:

"I don't need a chest protector, I need a bra."  - Gus Triandos, on being an overweight catcher during on Old Timer's Game.
                   

Week Two of Maintenance Begins Today . . .

Well, I hope I don't jinx myself, but perhaps after a week on maintenance I have started to stabilize my weight.  I weighed in this morning again at 172 so I'm starting to show some consistency.  We shall see.  Below are the meals I enjoyed yesterday - I always love days that I have a steak for dinner - what a great way to end a day and weekend!!

Breakfast:  3 egg omelet w/spinach leaves - 220
                    6oz. grilled boneless porkchop - 210
                    half a medium Gala apple - 40

Snack:  1 med. plum - 45

Lunch:  8oz. all natural skinless grilled chicken breast - 220
              4 pieces of red leaf lettuce - 20
              1 WASA multigrain crispbread - 45
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5
              1 large peach - 60

Snack:  1 med plum - 45

Dinner:  10 oz. grilled top sirloin steak - 425
               2 cups of Herb Mix salad - 20
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5
               1 large orange - 100

Snack:  1/2 Gala apple - 40

Total Calories - 1500 on the nose!

Holding Steady . . .

Nice to see that I maintained this morning again after resuming my maintenance diet at around 1500 calories.  I may start adding some cheese to the diet later this week and also a little bacon.  I have some filets wrapped in bacon just waiting for me to tear into.  Also, I am going to begin working out (lifting weights) three times a week starting tomorrow, so it will be interesting to see how that goes - will I have to increase my calorie count a couple of hundred to maintain my weight?  I will certainly let you know.  Here was my diet from yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 fried eggs in organic EVO - 210
                    6oz grilled boneless pork chop - 210
                    1 medium apple - 75

Snack:  1 kosher pickle spear - 5

Lunch:  6oz. all natural skinless grilled chicken breast - 220
             4 pieces of green lettuce - 20
             1 kosher pickle spear - 5
             1 WASA multigrain crisp bread - 45 cal
             1 large peach - 60

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70
             
Dinner:  3 skinless boneless chicken thighs - 325
               2 cups of Spring Mix salad - 20
              3 pieces of Old London melba toast - 60
              1 large orange - 100

Snack:  1/4 oz. of pork skins - 40

Total Calories - 1485

Steak is a good, good thing!!!

The only bad thing about "steak day" is that long wait you have to cut into that big juicy steak at the end of the day.  For me, that longing was extended yesterday as I stayed to announce Liberty's baseball game, so I did not get to eat the steak until after 10pm.  That made for a long day and lots of water.  However, the steak was delicious and did the trick as I lost two pounds and am back to 171lbs.  So now I'm back to the maintenance meals again in hopes to stabilize at this weight.  Here is what the "steak day" consisted of:

Lunch:  hard boiled eggs and an apple

Dinner:  12oz grilled top sirloin steak and an apple.

Good News . . . Bad News . . . STEAK DAY!

Well, after weighing this morning, I am up 3lbs from my weight the last day of phase one, so that is the bad news.  But not really because that means I have to do a "steak day" to get my metabolism jump started and my weight back down, and I really enjoy the steak days.  Here is what the steak day calls for:
1.  eat nothing all day except 2 hard boiled eggs and an apple at lunch;
2.  drink plenty of water (at least 2.5 liters)
3.  for dinner eat a huge steak (12 oz) and an apple

Ah, yes two words that meant to be together - "huge" and "steak."  It just seems right doesn't it?  I know it is crazy, but this little tactic really helps because all of the protein really gets your metabolism firing again and I expect to be back down tomorrow morning.  Anyway, here is what I had for my diet yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 large organic eggs fried in organic EVO - 210 cal
                    6oz. grilled butterfly porkchop - 210 cal
                    1 med. Gala apple - 75 cal

Snack:  1 hard boiled egg - 70 cal
              1 kosher pickle spear - 5 cal
            
Lunch:  Big Chef's Salad "lighter" from Jason's Deli - 340 cal
              w/balsamic vinaigrette dressing - 70 cal

Snack:  2 kosher dill pickle spears - 10 cal

Dinner:  8oz. grilled Top Sirloin Steak - 340 cal
               2 cup of Spring Mix Salad - 20 cal
              1 kosher dill pickle spear - 5 cal
              1 large peach - 60 cal

Total Calories - 1415

Why I LOVE Maintenance . . . and others's - Not so Much.

Steak and Eggs for Breakfast - "Nutritional Nirvana"

Well, I am stabilized so far through my first week of maintenance and I am staying right around 1500 calories.  Next week, I may try to take in a couple hundred more calories as I will start working out three times a week.  I get feedback from some of my customers and many of them, mainly women, have a difficult time enjoying the maintenance part of the diet because of all the protein they are required to eat daily.  Sure, you get to eat more and more frequently, however, a large percentage of that diet comes from protein, which consists of meats and eggs for the most part.  Now for me that is "Nutritional Nirvana," - hey I like that phrase and I'm claiming it!  It is Nutrional Nirvana for me because I love beef and eggs, so having portions of them each meal is no problem at all for me.  But in some cases, take my wife and mother-in-law for instance, the dieter simply gets tired of all that protien and begins craving other sources such as breads and pastas. Sometimes they get to a point that they just don't want to eat as opposed to eating more eggs or meat products.  But at the same time, the proteins are so important to the stabilization of weight, because the protein is the catalyst of speeding your metabolism. So over the next few days I'm going to research some different ideas for foods to eat on the maintenance phase that will prehaps give some a break from the standard protiens they are getting tired of, and maybe, just maybe they will at least think they are in "Protein Purgatory" - another original phrase - that's two in one blog!! 

Here is my diet from yesterday:

Breakfast:  3 Egg Omelet with baby spinach leaves - 230 cal
                    6oz. 96/4 extra lean ground beef patty - 180 cal
                   1 med Gala apple - 80 cal

Snacks:  1 large peach - 60 cal
               1 kosher pickle spear - 5 cal

Lunch:  2 skinless bonless grilled chicken thighs (my favorite) - 220 cal
             3 leafs of green lettuce - 15 cal
             1 Wasa Multigrain Crisp Bread - 45 cal
             2 kosher pickle spears - 10 cal
             1 large orange - 80 cal

Snack:  1 large hard boiled egg - 70 cal

Dinner:  12oz. of grilled large shrimp in organic EVO -
            

Day 3 - Phase 2 Completed

It is indeed early in Phase 2, but so far I am maintaining my weight.  I weighed in at 172lbs this morning.  The trick on this phase is playing with the calorie count to determine what will allow you to stabilze your weight.  The first go around, that number was between 1700-1800 calories per day.  However, as you will see I fell a little short of that yesterday.  Here is what I had:

Breakfast:  3 organic large eggs fried over-easy - 210 cal
                    6oz of grilled Top Sirloin steak (mmmm) - 300 cal
                    1 medium Gala apple - 80 cal

Snack:  1 kosher pickle spear - 5 cal
              1 hard boiled egg - 70 cal

Lunch:  8oz. all natural grilled chicken breast - 220 cal
              2 cups of Spring Mix Salad - 20 cal
             1 Wasa multigrain crisp bread - 45 cal
             1 kosher pickle spear - 5 cal
             1 large Orange - 80 cal

Dinner:  4oz. grilled 96/4 extra lean ground beef patty - 150 cal
               4 leafs of green lettuce - 20 cal
               2 kosher pickle spears - 10 cal
               1 large peach - 60 cal

Snack:  1 med Gala apple - 80 cal

Water:  2.5 liters

Total Calories:  1355

Aaaah Maintenance!!!

Breakfast Meal:  3 fried eggs; butterfly porkchop; plum - 465 calories

Yesterday was my first day of the maintenance phase of the HCG Diet.  The object is to stay within 2lbs of 171lbs for three weeks to reset my metabolism.  I love the phase because I get to start eating three meals a day and I try to eat between 1700-1800 calories.  It was great to eat some different foods, like eggs, pork, and pickles.  I will slowly add different foods each week, so as to not add to many new foods to my system at one time.  Doing so, could cause me to gain more than 2lbs.  So I will add things like dairy next week.  Below is what I had to eat my first day of maintenance.  I have also included a picture of my breakfast. 

Breakfast:  3 organic eggs fried over-easy in organic EVO - 210 cal
                    4oz. grilled boneless butterfly pork chop - 210 cal
                    1 medium plum - 45 cal

Snack:  1 organic hard boiled egg - 70 cal
              1 kosher dill spear pickle - 15 cal

Lunch:  6oz.  grilled all-natural skinless chicken breast - 220 cal
             4.5 cups Spring Mix Salad - 15 cal
             1 Wasa multigrain crisp break - 45 cal
             1tbs of classic yellow mustard - 0 cal
             1 med Navel orange - 60 cal

Snack:  1 large peach - 60 cal

Dinner:  8oz. 96/4 all natural extra lean ground beef patty - 300 cal
               4 leaf of green lettuce - 20 cal
               3 pieces of Old London melba toast - 60 cal
               1 med. Gala apple - 80 cal

Snack:  1 med Navel orange - 85 cal
              1 kosher pickle spear - 15 cal

Water:  2.5 liters


Total Calories:  1510 calories

I Suppose it Could Be Worse . . . I Could be Rory McIlroy

What a Masters to remember . . . except for this poor fella. 

Well what a Sunday it was for me.  A desperation "apple day," Rangers baseball and the Master on television, and finally Myles and I going to see the Mavericks and Suns.  What did it result in? - a great day to be a sports fan and a dad and nearly - and I mean nearly, making my goal of 170lbs.  This morning I tipped the scales at 170.5lbs - I lost 2lbs yesterday, but still fell oh so short of my goal of 170lbs.  My wife says I can round down, so if you look at it that way, I lost either 49 or 50lbs after my two rounds of Phase One of HCG.  I started at 220lbs and now weigh 170.5.  And, just as the diet says, I lost 24lbs in 23 days during the drops phase.  I have lost 9 inches in the waist as I am wearing "33's" for the first time since high school.  I am so excited to start the maintenance phase of the diet and enjoyed a heart breakfast this morning - I will be blogging my meals and progress on the maintenance phase as well starting tomorrow, so look for those updates.  Again, came up just short, but still pleased with the progess.  See ya tomorrow! 

Desperate Times - Desperate Measures

So, this morning I weigh and I lose "nadda," "zilch," or whatever you choose to call it and still remain at 172.5lbs with one day to go on phase one.  I really wanted to get to 170lbs at the end of this round, but it looks as if I may fall short of that goal.  Still, my total weight loss for the 2nd round of the protocol is 22lbs in 22 days - not shabby at all, and just as the diet advertises.  So, being the competitor I am, I will pull out all stops on this the final day before maintenance - I will do another "apple day."  Yes, I did one on Friday and I will endure again today in hopes of getting to that magic number.  So everyone out there keep their fingers crossed for me and will those last two pounds away.  Here was my diet for yesterday:

No Breakfast

Lunch:  4oz. Grilled All-Natural Skinless Chicken Breast - 110 cal
             3 leafs of Romaine Lettuce - 15 cal
             1 Wasa Multigrain Crisp Bread - 45 cal
             1tbs of Classic Yellow Mustard - 0 cal
             1 medium Navel Orange - 60 cal

Dinner:  3.5oz. 96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef Patty - 130 cal
              2 pieces of  Old London Melba Toast - 40 cal
              4 leafs of green lettuce - 20 cal
              1 tbs of Classic Yellow Mustard - 0 cal
              1 medium Gala Apple - 80 cal

Water:  2.5 Liters

Total Calories:  500 (on the nose) 

Heading Down the Homestretch . . .



Two day to go . . . 2.5 lbs to go.  Giddyup!!

 Well, just like suscribed by Dr. Simeon the "apple day" did the trick as I lost 1.5lbs yesterday and am now at 172.5lbs - just 2.5lbs away from my target weight.  The problem is I need to hit it by Monday because I begin maintenance on Monday and frankly, I can't wait to start eating 3 full meals a day and also increase the variety of my food choices.  I am anxious to blog my meals each day on maintenance because I get the most questions from other HCG dieters about what to eat while on maintenance.  To be honest, the protocol is not nearly specific enough it seems, especially after being so restrictive and regimented in the first phase.  Anyway, I will keep it updated daily as I have the past two weeks in hopes to provide a good road map for others.  There is nothing to put for my diet yesterday because it was 6 APPLES AND 2.5 LITERS OF WATER!!!  But, it worked.  See ya tomorrow!

"An Apple a Day . . .

The Infamous "Apple Day!"

keeps the doctor away" is what they say, but what about 6 APPLES??? Well, we are going to find out folks, because today I have chosen to do an "Apple Day" in which I only eat 6 apples and drink water.  I only lost half a pound yesterday, so I have kinda hit a plateau with only a couple of days to go on phase one of the diet.  I would really like to get to 170 by Monday so I need to jump-start my weight loss again.  The HCG Diet protocols recommends doing an "apple day" if you plateau or your weight loss slows down considerably over two or three days.  Also, I have stopped taking the drops even though I will remain on a 500 calorie on Saturday and Sunday.  The protocol requires dieters to go off the drops 72 hours before they begin the maintenance phase to ensure that all traces of HCG is out of your system.  So it will be a very interesting weekend - will I make it to 170 by Monday morning???  Here is was my diet from yesterday:

No Breakfast

Lunch:  4oz 96/4 Lean Ground Beef Patty - 140 cal
              1.5 cups of Mixed Salad - 20 calories 
              1 Wasa Multigrain Crisp Bread - 45 calories
              1 tbs of classic yellow mustard - 0 cal
              1 med. Gala Apple - 75 cal

Dinner:  4oz. Grilled All-Natural Skinless Chicken Breast - 110 cal
               2 leafs of Romaine Lettuce - 10 cal
               2 pieces of Old London Melba Toast - 40 cal
               1 tbs of classic yellow mustard - 0 cal
               1 med. Navel Orange - 80 cal

Snack:  1 cup of 99% Fat Free Swanson Beef Broth - 5 cal

Total Calories :  525 calories

What is it about baseball and little boys . . .

"Put me in coach . . ."

that go hand-in-hand?  Is there anything more awesome and American for a dad than to play catch with his son?  I think not, and am really enjoying watching Myles experience and enjoy baseball.  That's the good news, now for the not so good news.  I failed to lose any weight yesterday, but it happens periodically on teh diet.  Sometimes throughout this phase you will "plateau" and go a few days not losing as rapidly as you have or wish to.  Looks like I'm headed for infamous "Apple Day" to jump-start my weight loss again.  I plan on doing it tomorrow.  I'm still at 174.5lbs and holding steady.  Here was my diet yesterday:

No Breakfast

Lunch:  4oz. Top Sirloin Steak - 170 cal
             2 cups of Spring Mix Salad - 20 cal
             1 Wasa Multigrain Crisp Bread - 45 cal
              1tbs of Classic Yellow Mustard - 0 cal
             1 medium Gala Apple - 75 cal

Dinner:  4oz. All Natural Skinless Grilled Chicken Breast - 110 cal
              4 small leafs of Green Lettuce - 15 cal
              3 pieces of Old London Melba Toast - 60 cal
              1 tbs of Classic Yellow Mustard - 0 cal
              1 medium Navel Orange - 80 cal

Snack:  1 cup of 99% Fat Free Beef Broth - 5 cal

Water:  2.5 liters

Total Calories:  580 cal  

Rangers Keep Winning and I Keep Losing . . .

and I don't know which is better - I'll take both!!  I lost 1.5lbs this morning and now weight 174.5.  The Rangers just won their 5th in a row to start the season 5-0.  What was all that talk about their starting pitching???  Their rotation starts out the season with 5 wins - very nice indeed.  Also, I'm getting excited about the Masters starting on Thursday.  It has to be one of the coolest sporting events there is and is certainly on my Bucket List.  Now to the diet yesterday:

No Breakfast

Lunch:  4oz 96/4 Lean Ground Beef patty - 140 cal
              1 Cup of Spring Mix Salad - 10 cal
              1 Wasa Multi Grain Crisp Bread - 45 cal
              1 tbs of Classic Yellow Mustard - 0 cal
              1 medium Gala Apple - 75 cal

Dinner:  4oz. All Natural Skinless Chicken Breast - 110 cal
               3 leafs of

I'm spoiled . . .

because I get upset when I only lose a half pound a day, and that is what I did for the second day in a row.  I'm weighed in at 176 today which brings me 6lbs away from my target of 170.  However, I am in a race against time now, because next Monday I am scheduled to start the maintenance phase of the diet.  So we will see if I can "finish strong" and get to 170lbs.  Yesterday was kinda crazy and my plans got interrupted with a meeting I had to attend.  I was not able to go home after work and consequently, did not have a meal with me for dinner.  I had to stop in a restaurant and order a salad, but it worked out alright.  Here was my diet for yesterday:

No Breakfast

Lunch:  4oz. Grilled All Natural Chicken Breast - 110 cal
              2 leafs of green lettuce - 10 cal
              3 pieces of Old London Melba Toast - 60 cal
              1 tbs of Classic Yellow Mustard - 0 cal
              1 medium Gala apple - 75 cal

Dinner:  Mixed Greens Salad with Roasted Chicken Breast (Corner Bakery) - est. 210 cal
               1 medium Gala apple - 75 cal

Water:  1.5 liters

Total Calories - 540