Day Three

Going strong.  I squeezed in a morning swim today -  it felt so good.
I always think a lot in the pool as I do my laps.  After talking to an HCG company representative the other day and learning that they have an 850 calorie diet, I've decided to make some modifications to my program to make it more personally appealing and more healthy in my opinion.  I don't really believe that 500 calories is right for me, so I plan to consume between 650-900 calories which makes the menu more flexible and fun to plan.  I'd also like to try adding some other fruits occassionally.  I look at this as an experiment between what I know and what I don't know.

I will also mix in some macrobiotic components, especially brown rice, miso soup, legumes and some other less familiar foods like burdock root, seaweed, daikon, etc.  Many of these foods are extremely nutritious, cleansing and they also help to burn fat and prevent cancer.

I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I need to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and use every tool in my arsenal to achieve my weight loss goal.  I've never been a "diet" person, following one crazy diet after another.  Well - maybe I did a bit of that when I was younger, but it's certainly not my mantra.  Even the calorie counting has been so passe for me.  I have spent time (and money!) learning about the macrobiotic approach to diet and living.  It has helped me to get to know my body better and know what properties each food has and how it is used to benefit vital organs.  The health of the kidney and liver is so important.  Losing weight can really stress these organs, so it's important to take care to eat the proper foods that help to strengthen them.  I will continue to write more about this, but I need to limit my time on the computer each day so this blogging doesn't become a chore.

Breakfast - just guess!
Yep - my favorite new Strawberry/Cottage cheese shake - I know it's time to change it up, but man, it is soooo good!

I wanted to share my lunch with you - here's a pic:


 Hummus with Veggies and Melba Toast

1 cup garbanzo beans

1 T Walden Farms, fat free, sugar free bacon dressing

1 T Walden Farms, fat free, sugar free russian dressing

3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime juice, approx 1 tsp.

Garnish with fresh basil

Makes two servings.  Served with cucumber, red pepper slices and melba toast

Calories:  Garbanzo beans 1/2 cup, 110 cal, red pepper, 20 cal, cucumber 15 cal, melba toast 50 cal, total 200

Comments:  This was delicious, but I must say that the russian dressing does contain sucralose which made the hummus too sweet and then I had to add more salt than desired, so I would skip the russian dressing.  I just thought that having some kind of flavor and creamy texture from the dressing might help to substitute for the olive oil and tahini that I usually use in my hummus.  Play around with this recipe and leave comments please!

Plans for dinner:

Chicken (3oz) and grilled vegetables with fat free, sugar free balsamic marinade - 250 calories

Snack - shake with coffee, fat free cottage cheese, ice.  1 peach 150 calories