SugarFree Protocol – Missy

Missy’s Intro:

Hi Friends!  My name is Missy, I am 5′ 11″ and I am twenty-eight years old.  I am twenty years deep into a disagreement with my thyroid.  I think it should function optimally, it disagrees.  When I was eight years old I weighed 130 pounds and was gaining a pound a week with no explanation.  I was put on thyroid medication and the weight gain slowed, but continued until I reached my highest weight of 265 pounds my senior year of high school.  During that time my well-meaning mother put me on every diet out there (I still have haunting memories of living off of dry tuna on rye crackers) but nothing worked. When I was 20 I went to China to teach English for four months and lost 20 pounds!  It was the first time I had lost any weight since I was born.  I then discovered that one can lose weight by not eating and became anorexic for six months, dropping 80 pounds.  At my thinnest I weighed 172 pounds.

When I started eating I gained the weight back and was 220 pounds in just a few months.  In desperation I tried the master cleanse, raw food diet, the candida diet, atkins, the zone, and fasting, but nothing worked.

That’s when I discovered HCG.  I did my first 6 week round, using homeopathic drops, before my wedding and got down to 180 lbs.  That lasted about a long as the wedding day, then I started to slowly gain back.  In the past two years I’ve done 6 rounds of HCG. My last round ended in April of this year at 182 lbs.  Since then I have gained back 40 lbs despite spotless eating.  I’m so tired of losing weight and finding it again.  I’m excited to do this protocol and never “lose” weight again; instead, I will be healing my metabolism and burning fat that I won’t need to find and put back on!  Bring on the fat burn!

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 1 – 9/9

Weight: 221.2

Measurements:
Bust: 44”
Waist: 35”
Hips: 48”

Breakfast:  Green Tea with 1 tsp. heavy cream

Lunch:
– 4 oz Mixed Lettuce
– 8 Cherry Tomatoes
– 1 T. Butter
– 2 oz. Potatoes
– 3 oz. Yellow Squash
– 9 oz. Boneless Chicken Thigh

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– 4 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 815.9
– Fat: 51.1 grams (57%)
– Protein: 69.3 grams (34%)
– Carbs: 18.8 grams (9%)

Ketostix: Negative

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

Today went really well.  I wasn’t hungry this morning and didn’t drink my breakfast tea until 11 AM.  I really enjoyed my potato and chicken thigh at lunch.  I haven’t allowed myself to eat potatoes in so long, it felt like an indulgence!  I was busy at work today and didn’t drink much water, but had plenty of urine output.  I got hunger pains at 5 PM which is the time I usually have a snack.  But I drank some tea and it passed.

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 2 – 9/10

Weight: 218.8 =down 2.4 pounds

Lunch:
– 4 oz Mixed Lettuce
– 4 oz. Sliced Tomatoes
– 8 oz. 85% lean ground beef
– 2 oz. Potatoes
– 3 oz. Yellow Squash

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 4 egg whites
– 4 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 799
– Fat: 50.5 grams (57%)
– Protein: 65.2 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 20.9 grams (10%)

Ketostix: Small

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 83
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 101
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 93

– I had a funny dream last night that I was back on HCG. In my dream I kept forgetting to take the HCG drops and had moments of panic. At one point in the dream I was in a grocery store and discovered they had created “HCG Cola” that you could drink instead of taking the drops and I drank the can right there in the aisle! I was so relieved to wake up and realize I don’t have to deal with any of that on this protocol.

I slept in today and woke up feeling so thirsty. I wasn’t hungry for lunch until 2 PM. I really enjoyed my lunch. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten eight ounces of ground beef before. I was so full, but so satisfied. I cooked my potatoes in the same pan as the beef so they got crispy in the beef fat. It was so good I wanted to stand up and cheer when I was done!
I tried some Walden Farms raspberry vinaigrette on my salad. I don’t usually eat Splenda products and I found it to be way too sweet. I felt shaky and anxious after eating and wanted something sweet. I don’t think I’ll use that dressing again.

[Note: While there’s only sucralose (NOT Splenda, which is loaded with sugar) in the dressing, and sucralose cannot spike insulin, you should not have eaten it because if it’s not in your Fitday account for the day — you can’t eat it. 

Walden Farms is loaded with chemicals though, so I suggest that you make your own excellent vinaigrette with olive oil and vinegar. Good practice for when you eat out. :)]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 3 – 9/11

Weight: 217.6 =down 1.2 pounds

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Pork Loin
– 3 oz. Broccoli
– 4 oz. Spinach
– 3 oz. Mushrooms
– .25 oz. Bacon
–  2 oz. Yams
– .5 Tb. Butter
– 1 Tb. Mayo

Dinner:
– 1 whole egg
– 3 egg whites
– 3 oz. Lettuce
– 1 oz. Spring/Herb Mix

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 865.7
– Fat: 54.1 grams (56%)
– Protein: 68.8 grams (32%)
– Carbs: 25.9 grams (12%)

Ketostix: Large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 76

I had some serious induction flu last night with a migraine and chills.  I slept it off, but woke up feeling weak and shaky this morning with a touch of a headache leftover, but that faded away by lunch time.

My lunch was fabulous!  I made a salad with the broccoli, mayo and bacon that was delicious.  I cooked the pork in a crock pot then laid it on a bed of spinach and covered it in sautéed mushrooms.  Yummy! I felt a million times better after lunch and had lots of energy.

[Note: You are absolutely on the right track! In ketosis (and, I have no doubt, lipolysis) and look at those gorgeous blood sugars! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this; your menu today looks yummy indeed. :)]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 4 – 9/12

Weight: 216.8 = down .8 pounds

Breakfast:  Tea with 1 tsp. heavy cream

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Salmon
– 5 oz. Cucumber
– 4 oz. Tomatoes
– 3 oz. Lettuce
– 1 oz. Spring/herb Mix
– 1 Tb. Mayo
–  1.75 oz. Yams
– .5 Tb. Butter
– 2 tsp. Olive Oil
– 1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner:
– 1 whole egg
– 3 egg whites
– 3 oz. Spinach
– .5 oz. Cream Cheese

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 853.3
– Fat: 52.3 grams (55%)
– Protein: 70.3 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 25.1 grams (12%)

Ketostix: Large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 86
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 106

I was tired this morning and had a hard time getting started, but that’s Monday for you!
Other than that, I feel good today.  For lunch I had salmon salad with dill mayo on top and a cucumber/tomato salad.  It was delicious, but an overwhelming amount of food and I was stuffed.

[Note: Missy — Great inch loss in only four days! 🙂

Sadly however,  balsamic vinegar is not allowed on Protocol — it’s filled with natural sugar and that’s even without the added sugar some manufacturers put in. It certainly spiked your blood sugar today! Any other vinegar for your salads is fine.]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 5 – 9/13

Weight: 216 = down .8 pounds

Lunch:
– 8 oz. 80% lean ground beef
– 8 oz. Tomato
– 4 oz. Spinach
– .5 oz Red Onion
– 2 oz. Red Potato

Dinner:
– 2 whole egg
– 5 egg whites
– 2 oz. Spring/herb mix
– 2 oz. Chard
– 1 oz. Green Onion

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 819.7
– Fat: 50.5 grams (56%)
– Protein: 68.3 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 23.0 grams (11%)

Ketostix: Large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 83

Today was a busy day at work.  I knew I was going to be out in the field all day so I made a chili with my lunch ingredients and it was a perfect grab and go meal.  It was also very tasty and very filling.

[Note: Sounds delicious! And wow – 5.2 pounds in five days. I think you’ll be happy when you take your measurements on Monday.]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 6 – 9/14

Weight: 215.8 = down .2 pounds

Breakfast:  Tea with 1 tsp. cream

Lunch:
– 9 oz. Chicken Thigh
– 3 oz. Celery
– 4 oz. Spinach
– 3 oz. Mushrooms
– 1 oz. Red Onion
–  2 oz. Yams
– 1 Tb. Butter

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– 3 oz. Lettuce
– 1 oz. Spring/Herb Mix

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 842.4
– Fat: 51.2 grams (55%)
– Protein: 70.4 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 25.0 grams (12%)

Ketostix: Large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 88
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 86
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 100

Not a very big weight loss today, but that’s ok because I know I’m still burning fat. I’m very happy with the weight I’ve burned off so far!

I had a chicken stir fry for lunch and felt really good after eating.  I don’t know what caused my blood sugars to spike.  I rode my bike home (about 5 min ride) before I took my 2-hr PP reading.  I don’t know if that would change anything.

[Note: It would! Exercise always spikes blood sugars (due to higher cortisol), so you should avoid taking your blood sugar readings right after you exercise. Wait at least thirty minutes.]

Protocol Round 1, Week 1, Day 7 – 9/15

Weight: 214.6 = down 1.2 pounds

Breakfast: .25 oz. cheese and tea

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Tri Tip
– 3 oz. Broccoli
– 1 Tb. Mayo
– .25 oz. Bacon
–  2 oz. Red Potato
–  3 oz. Chard
–  3 oz. Mushrooms
– .1 oz. Red Onion

Dinner:
– 1 whole egg
– 3 egg whites
– .5 oz. Cream Cheese
– 4 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 845.7
– Fat: 52.5 grams (55%)
– Protein: 71.3 grams (34%)
– Carbs: 22 grams (11%)

Ketostix:  Large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 76
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 117

Last night I dreamed I was eating bags and bags of gluten-free pretzels and my blood sugars were out of control.  I woke up feeling really shaky as if I had really eaten the pretzels!

My fasting blood sugar was lower than usual so I ate a small piece of cheese, (like Sugarfree recommended Kym to do when her fasting blood sugar was low) and the shakiness went away.

I haven’t had a bowel movement in 3 days and I’m feeling bloated today.

Lunch was delicious, but I’ve never had that much steak before and it took me 30 minutes to chew it all!  I’m not sure why my sugar spiked after lunch.  I don’t think the steak had enough fat on it.  There wasn’t much visible fat on the steak.

[Note: Wow … 7 pounds gone in 7 days!

Since our body raises insulin even when we think about food (which is a good thing, since we definitely don’t want to wait for insulin when we’ve got glucose in our blood stream), it is absolutely possible that your insulin rose while you were dreaming about eating carbs! Which of course really lowered your fasting number. If this happens again, it’s a sign that you need to eat a bit of carbs with your evening meal, so your overnight insulin production has something to work on besides dreams. 🙂 A half ounce of potato chips should do it. Trader Joe’s has chips fried in olive oil, which are delicious.

Several things can spike blood sugars: food, fever, exercise and even constipation. A bottle of liquid magnesium citrate found very cheaply at your local drugstore will soon set you right. Drink about 2 ounces of it with 8 ounces of water. If after a day nothing happens — though I doubt that — another 2 ounces with 8 ounces water will fix it. Do not take more than once in 24 hours!]

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 1 – 9/16

Weight: 213.6 = down 1 pound

Lunch:
– 1 Whole eggs
– 1 Egg white
– .5 oz Cream Cheese
– 6 oz. Chicken Thigh
– 1 Tb. Mayo
–  2 oz. Yams
– 3 oz. Celery
– .5 oz. Green Onion
– 2 oz. Tomato
– 4 oz. Spring/Herb Mix

 Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– .5 oz. Cheddar Cheese
– 2 oz. Chard
– 2 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 839.2
– Fat: 50.4 grams (54%)
– Protein: 71 grams (34%)
– Carbs: 25.4  grams (12%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 102
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 104

I’ve been on the protocol a week now and I am so happy with the 8 pounds that I’ve burned off already!  The most I ever lost in a week on hcg was 5 pounds and I had to starve to get that.  I haven’t felt deprived at all on this protocol and I’m really enjoying the food.  After all my constipation complaining, I had a really good movement last night (without the need of magnesium!) and I’m feeling fantastic today.

My lunch was superb!  I made chicken salad wraps.  The Recipe:

Beat two 2 egg whites to stiff peaks. In a separate bowl beat in 1 egg yolk with .5 oz. room-temp cream cheese until smooth.  Gently fold this mix into the egg whites.  Salt and pepper to taste. Bake the batter in a waffle iron and you’ll get delicious flat bread-type wraps.

I had so much energy after lunch, I felt like I could run a mile.

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 2 – 9/17

Weight: 213.6 = no change

Lunch:
– 1 Whole egg
– 6 oz. 80% lean ground beef
– 3 oz. Romaine lettuce
– 1 oz. Spring/herb mix
– 2 oz. Red potato
– 6 oz. Tomatoes

“Honey Mustard Dressing”
– 1 tsp. Mustard
– 1 tsp. Apple Cider vinegar
– 1 tsp. Sour Cream
– Stevia to taste

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 4 egg whites
– 3 oz. Broccoli
– 2 oz.Spinach
– 2 tsp. Sour Cream

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 847.9
– Fat: 53.1 grams (56%)
– Protein: 68.1 grams (32%)
– Carbs: 24.4  grams (12%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 120
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 105

This is the first day I have not had any weight change and I’m OK with that.  I drank a lot of water yesterday and didn’t have much output so I think I’m holding on to some water.

I made a faux honey mustard dressing for my lunch salad and it was delicious.  I put the beef, tomatoes and egg on my salad and with the mustard dressing it tasted just like a hamburger.  Yum!   I felt great after eating; I don’t know why my blood sugars were so high. [Note: You ate most of your discretionary fat with dinner instead of with the potato!]

I put on a pair of pants today that were tight last week and they are comfortably loose now.  I can’t wait for measurements on Monday!

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 3 – 9/18

Weight: 213.0 = down .6 pound

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Pork Loin
– 6 oz. Tomatoes
– 3 oz. Romaine lettuce
– 1 oz. Spring/herb mix
– 2 oz. Red potato
– 3 oz. Broccoli
– 1 Tb. Butter

Dinner:
– 1 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– 2 oz. Green Beans
– 3 oz. Kale
– .5 oz Cream Cheese
– .5 Tb Parmesan Cheese

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 832
– Fat: 51.6 grams (56%)
– Protein: 69.0  grams (33%)
– Carbs: 22.9  grams (11%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 83
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 80

I woke up hungry this morning.  I had some water and was okay for about an hour, then my stomach started to growl.  I ate lunch an hour later than normal and was surprised and how fast I got full.  I was only a few bites in and felt stuffed!

I have designated Sundays as my “crock pot pork chop” day.  I love it because it’s easy and delicious and apparently my body loves it too because two weeks in a row now my blood sugars have been great after this meal! I was absolutely stuffed after lunch, but felt good and had lots of energy through the afternoon.

Monday, 9/19

Missy’s been bitten by a stomach bug. 🙁 No report today, but let’s all wish her a big GET WELL SOON!

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 5 – 9/20

Weight: 210.8 = down 2.2 pounds

Measurements:
Bust: 43” = down 1 inch
Waist: 34” = down 1 inch
Hips: 47” = down 1 inch

Lunch:
– 1 Whole egg
– 6 oz. 80% lean ground beef
– 1 oz. Spring/herb mix
– 2 oz. Red potato
– 5 oz. Tomatoes
– 1 tsp. Mustard

Dinner:
– 1 whole eggs
– 5 egg whites
– 6 oz. Zucchini
– 3 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 852
– Fat: 52 grams (55%)
– Protein: 71.4 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 24.6  grams (12%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 80
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 110
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 119

I am feeling SOOO much better today.  Luckily it was just a 24 hour flu bug and I’m feeling back to myself today.  I was actually hungry at lunch which was a very good sign and I enjoyed my hamburger lunch to the fullest.

I did my measurements yesterday and was so happy to see I am down an inch everywhere in just 10 days!

I felt good after lunch with no queasiness left over from the last two days!   This was the first meal I’ve eaten since Sunday (I’ve only been having broth and liquids) so maybe that’s why my blood sugars spiked.

[Note: Nope. It was a combo of 5 whopping ounces of tomatoes (lots of sugars there!) plus 2 ounces of potato (lots of glucose there!) eaten with only 6 ounces of meat and lettuce. Far better to have eaten the potato, 2 ounces of tomato, all the zucchini AND the spinach. Eggs and a salad for dinner would have been better than all those eggs AND the veggies. What your meter told you today is that you need to tweak your menus, and what foods you need eat together.

That said, how fabulous that you’ve lost over 5% of your body weight (!), and that almost all of it was fat — as evidenced by the great inch loss. Fantastic! :)]

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 6 – 9/21

Weight: 210.4 = down .4 pounds

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Pork Loin
– 3 oz. Romaine lettuce
– 2 oz. Yam
– 3 oz. Cauliflower
– 1 Tb. Butter
– .5 oz. Wholly Guacamole

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– 4 oz. Kale

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 853.6
– Fat: 52.8 grams (56%)
– Protein: 71.3 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 23.3 grams (11%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 112
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 110

I felt good today and had my energy back. I had almost the same lunch today that I ate on Sunday before I got sick. I know it wasn’t the food that made me sick on Sunday because my husband ate the same meal and was fine, but I kept psyching myself out and thinking it was going to make me sick today!

That is no way to enjoy a lunch and I’m ashamed of myself for doing that. Lunch went down fine and I felt great afterward. I really enjoy having my yam with butter on top. That is one of my favorite things and it feels good to be able to eat it on a regular basis and feel like I’m indulging.

Protocol Round 1, Week 2, Day 7 – 9/22

Weight: 209.8 = down 0.6 pounds

Lunch:
– 7 oz. 80 % lean ground beef
– 2 oz. Tomatoes
– 3 oz. Yellow summer squash
– 5 oz. Zucchini
– 2 oz. Red potato
– 4 oz. Kale

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 4 egg whites
– 3 oz. Chard
– 1 tsp. Sour Cream

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 823.6
– Fat: 50.8 grams (55%)
– Protein: 71.1 grams (35%)
– Carbs: 20.5  grams (10%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 84
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 110
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 115

I had a busy day today.  There was an anniversary celebration at my work and I was rushing around all day.  I ate lunch 2 hours later than normal.  There were A LOT of veggies in my lunch and it took a long time to chew everything.  As we see from my blood sugars, there were too many veggies without enough fat.  I’m seeing a trend with blood sugar spikes and tomato intake.  I’m going to try cutting back on them for a while.  I’m really happy to be out of the 210’s today!

[Note: Heavens; it was only 13 days ago that you weighed over 221! What great progress: over 11 pounds lost in that time, which is 5% of your total body weight then. Most docs would be thrilled if their patients could lose that much in a year, and even more thrilled if they could keep it off long-term, which you will do. I’m glad you found the connection between the tomatoes (especially eaten with potato and only a little fat) and your blood sugars. That’s learning to listen to and trust your meter, which is great. :)]

Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 2 – 9/24

Weight: 209.8 = No change

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Steak
– 3 oz. lettuce
– 2 oz. Potato
– 3 oz. Broccoli
– .5 Tb. Butter
– .5 oz. Avocado
– 1 TB Sour Cream
– 1 tsp. Olive Oil
– 2 oz. Cucumber

Dinner:
– 1 whole eggs
– 4 egg whites
– 4 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 796.6
– Fat: 51 grams (57%)
– Protein: 68.6 grams (34%)
– Carbs: 18.8 grams (9%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 75
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 94

I am traveling this weekend and spent the whole day yesterday at a family wedding. I was really proud of myself because I was able to balance my meals and my blood sugars were good. I felt so empowered to have my meter with me and know that even though I was eating out, I was going to be able to keep myself in check. The meter has become my best friend and has taken a lot of guess-work out of eating.

I weighed myself on my Mom’s scale today and was the same weight I was at home. We went out to lunch and I had a giant delicious steak, a green salad and a small portion of my potato. I felt a sense of control that I have never had before because I knew exactly what to order and exactly what would make me feel good. I was totally confused with my blood sugars after lunch. I felt fantastic and I don’t know where that 75 came from?

[Note: Look at all the great fat you ate with lunch! That very well might have done it. Sounds like you had a great day. :)]

Protocol Round 1, Week 3, Day 3 – 9/25

Weight: 209.8 = no change

Breakfast:  Tea with 1 tsp. heavy cream

Lunch:
– 8 oz. Chicken Thigh
– 4 oz. Spinach
– 2 oz. Yam
– 1 Tb. Butter

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– 4 oz. Lettuce/herb mix
– 3 oz. Green Beans

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 826
– Fat: 50.8 grams (55%)
– Protein: 68.6 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 23.6  grams (12%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 74
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 97

Today I was reminded of the joys of visiting family! We were in a rush to get somewhere so I threw my lunch together in a giant bowl and got in the car. A few bites into the meal I noticed my yam had a bite out of it which I hadn’t taken. I realized that I left the green bean portion of the meal on the stove! Thus, my carbs at lunch were very low and I had another blood sugar result like yesterday. I felt good though and had plenty of energy through the afternoon.

Tomorrow I move on to maintenance and I am very excited!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 1 – 9/26

Weight: 209.5 = down .3 pounds

Measurements:
Bust: 42.5” = down .5 inch
Waist: 34” = no change
Hips: 47” = no change

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 75
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 98

I love maintenance already!  We ate lunch out and I enjoyed every bite of it.  I don’t think I got all of my fat in though.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 2 – 9/27

Weight: 209.6 = up .1 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92

Today I feel bloated. Last night I took some magnesium citrate. I noticed it tasted really sweet and when I read the ingredients it had sucrose in it! My blood sugars did okay since I took it after all the fat I had with lunch, but I was nervous it was going to make them spike. I had a wonderful lunch. I’m really enjoying this extra fat.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 3 – 9/28

Weight: 208.4 = down 1.2 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 78
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91

I was surprised to see a weight loss today! And I don’t feel as bloated. I had a fantastic lunch, and felt so full afterward. I’ve noticed that it’s not a “disgusting” full feeling, but rather a “clean burning engine” full feeling where I know I have plenty of fuel for the rest of the day.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 4 – 9/29

Weight: 208.8 = up .4 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 87
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 78

Today I felt like I could conquer the world! I had so much energy, had a fabulous lunch and fantastic blood sugars afterward. What more could a girl want?

[LOL – George Clooney?]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 5 – 9/30

Weight: 208.6 = down .2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 97
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 87

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 1, Day 6 – 10/1

Weight: 209.4 = up .8 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 98
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 91

Happy October! I feel fantastic today. I am up a bit on the scale, but definitely down in size. I am wearing a pair of pants today that I haven’t been able to wear for months and I am feeling really good about myself!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 1 – 10/3

Weight: 209.4 = no change

Measurements:
Bust: 42” = down .5 inch
Waist: 33.5” = down .5 inch
Hips: 46.75” = down .25 inch

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

Hi, Everyone! I’m sorry I couldn’t report yesterday. The internet went down in my neighborhood and I felt like I couldn’t do anything without it! It’s funny how we come to rely on the internet! I had a really good day yesterday and today. I’ve introduced some new foods and my blood sugars are accepting them well. I am feeling great today and looking forward to a fantastic week!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 2 – 10/4

Weight: 209.6 = up .2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 84
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 89

Today is a crazy busy day and I didn’t have much time for lunch so I switched my big meal to dinner. I felt like I didn’t have enough fat with lunch and my blood sugars confirmed it. I’m starting to get the hang of things and being able to tell when I eat enough fat or not. I LOVE this protocol and I feel so GOOD. It so nice to be able to enjoy all the healthy fats that my body has always craved without feeling guilty about it!

[Note: Don’t be shy, Missy … say how you really feel about the Protocol — LOL! And yes, I know exactly how you feel. I love that I will eat like this the rest of my life, and enjoy every mouthful. The looks I sometimes get at the market when I put my pork belly, pounds of butter, quarts of heavy cream and good veggies, berries, dark chocolate on the conveyor are hilarious, since it’s clear they’re looking at me, slim now, and then the food again, etc. And I sadly watch them load up with boxes of cereals, processed and chemical-filled foods of all kinds, candy, ice-cream, gallons of soda and other crap that will make their already big stomachs even bigger. I wouldn’t trade places with them for a million dollars. Seriously.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 3 – 10/5

Weight: 210.4 = up .8 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 95
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 108

I have NO IDEA what is going on today with my sugars and weight!

[Note: What’s going on is perfectly NORMAL! Your fasting blood sugar was under 100, which is fine. Your 2-hr PP is a bit high, but probably because of the sugar you ate yesterday.

You gained a little water weight — because you’ve lost a lot of fat in a short time and, as I have written over and over — when this happens your body ALWAYS fills up the emptier fat cells with water as a place holder. You did not ‘gain weight’ or more importantly, gain fat. You’re just retaining a bit of water, which will shortly disappear. Promise. :)]

We ate dinner at a friend’s house last night and I was really careful, but I know there was hidden sugars and cornstarch in her pot roast. I think this is why my fasting sugars were high. I don’t know what happened after lunch. I had a delicious stir fry with my meat, vegetables and almost all my fat so I was surprised to see the spike. I’ll be in meetings all day tomorrow and away from internet access so I will not be posting, but I’ll see you on all Friday, hopefully with better blood sugar reports!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 5 – 10/7

Weight: 209.2 = down 1.2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 94
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 103

Happy Friday Everyone! Yesterday was a really good day. I tried adding in fruit and did really well with my portion of blueberries in heavy whip cream. YUM! My sugars afterward were stable in the 80′s and my fasting was back to normal today.

Today for lunch I tried adding some dark chocolate. That didn’t go as well as the fruit, but I know it’s because I didn’t have enough fat with it since I saved some of my lunch fat to have with dinner. Now I know better! I will wait a while to try that again and next time I’ll eat more fat.

The chocolate tasted so good, but stable blood sugars are a far better reward!

[Note: Missy, your sugars spiked not because of the ‘fat’ problem, but because of the Missy-Went-Off-Protocol problem.

On Maintenance you may eat 1 square of Lindt 85% chocolate on a day when you don’t eat other starches (like bread or potato) or other sweet things like your almond butter bread. So what did you have today? Ghirardelli 60% Dark Chocolate AND almond butter bread! Any chocolate less than 85% is loaded with sugar.  A chocolate with 60% cacao is in fact  40% sugar. What are you not allowed to eat on SugarFree’s Protocol? S.U.G.A.R! 🙂

For the next week or so of Maintenance, please send me your daily menu (with stats) the day before you eat it. I’ll review and tweak (if necessary).]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 6 – 10/8

Weight: 209.0 = down .2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 86

I’ve had a really busy day today and didn’t eat lunch until 2 p.m. I waited too long to eat lunch and I got a touch of a headache that hung around for a couple of hours after eating. I tried raspberries in heavy whipped cream with lunch and it went wonderfully! It was a most refreshing treat on a sunny October day. I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 2, Day 7– 10/9

Weight: 209.2 = up .2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 76
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 84

I had a BLT on almond bread for lunch today that was so delicious! I love being able to enjoy bacon without guilt! I savored every bite.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 1 – 10/10

Weight: 210.4 = up 1.2 pounds

Measurements:
Bust: 42” = no change
Waist: 33” = down .5 inch
Hips: 46.5” = down .25 inch

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 82
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 85
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 96

I’m up in weight today, but down in inches so everything is going great! I was on the road all day so I took my lunch, but forgot part of it at home and it was the part with most of my fat. My blood sugars sure missed that fat!

[Missy, everything is going really well. As I’ve said so often on this blog I should make a tape of it — LOL — everyone gains weight the first week of maintenance. It’s all water that the brain has dumped into your emptying fat cells as a “place-holder” for the fat, which it hopes will come back soon. Within a week or two the body will realize that the Mastodon are running again, it is being well fed with tons of fat, and it will accept your new set-point. When that happens it will drain the water from the fat cells and let it go in a 24-48 hour period.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 2– 10/11

Weight: 210.4 = no change

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 79
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 106
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95

I haven’t had tomatoes in weeks because I was noticing they spiked my sugars. I got brave today and tried having a few ounces and they shot up my sugars again! It’s nice to have the meter as a tool to figure these things out!

[Note: Missy, it wasn’t *just* the tomatoes. It was also 3 whole ounces of onion! Onions contain a boatload of sugar.]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 3– 10/12

Weight: 210.8 = up .4 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I love my fruit days! Today I had raspberries in cream. Yum! It actually made me feel happy for hours and my blood sugars loved it too!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 5– 10/14

Weight: 209.6= down 1.2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

Had another fruit day today with almost identical numbers as my last fruit day. I feel so good today and have tons of energy! Happy Friday everyone!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 6– 10/15

Weight: 210.2= up .6 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 82
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 78

I woke up with a sore throat and no voice this morning. I’m taking it easy today and drinking tons of water. Hopefully I’ll kick this quickly!

[Hope you shake it off and feel better soon!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 3, Day 7– 10/16

Weight: 208.0= down 2.2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 85

I’m still fighting the cold today and have spent most the day resting. Here’s to a better day tomorrow!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 1– 10/17

Weight: 207.8= down .2 pounds

Measurements:
Bust: 41.75” = down .25”
Waist: 33” = No change
Hips: 46.25” = down .25″

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 88
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 90

I’m starting to feel better today. I’m still feeling congested, but I’m getting my energy back. I’m feeling slim today and it looks like I’m starting to lose some of that water weight!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 2– 10/18

Weight: 207.6= down .2 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 90
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 99

I had a crazy busy day at work today. I had just started eating my lunch when I got called away and never returned! I had only eaten some of the starch and a small amount of fat at that point which you can see from my blood sugars. I felt crazy the whole afternoon and couldn’t think clearly. I hope tomorrow I can at least eat lunch!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 3– 10/19

Weight: 208.0= up .4 pounds

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 85
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 95

I had a rushed lunch again today and had to leave a little behind, but not as much as yesterday. This is the last day of the crazy schedule so I’m looking forward to having time to eat and digest in the coming days. I’m feeling good today, but I’m totally stressed with my work schedule. I’ll be happy when things calm down!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 4– 10/20

Weight: 207.0= down 1 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 100
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

My weight just keeps coming down which is fantastic! I’m not sure why my fasting blood sugar was so high this morning. I had an iron infusion a week ago to help with my anemia and I’ve noticed my blood sugars have been a lot higher and unpredictable since then. I’ve also been under the weather since the infusion so I’m not sure if that plays into it at all.

I finally feel like I’m coming out of the fog and felt pretty good today. I had a great lunch and good energy throughout the afternoon!

[Note: Heaven’s, woman — you’ve lost 14 pounds in just six weeks, and for the last four of those weeks you’ve been eating fat and calories galore! Isn’t it nice when it works? 🙂 Don’t worry about the blood sugars being a little higher. They’re still very good, and hormones and other things can raise or lower them despite the food you eat. You’re doing great!]

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 5– 10/21

Weight: 206.0= down 1 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 96
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 95
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 100

Down another pound today and feeling fantastic! I am most pleased with the 15 pounds I have burned off since beginning this protocol. My sugars were higher than normal again today, but I had a lot of energy and felt really good. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 6– 10/22

Weight: 205.0= down 1 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 89
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 100
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 105

Down another pound today!

I learned a valuable lesson with my lunch today: never allow your lunch to cool off in a kitchen where your husband can find it! I made myself a delicious hot lunch and left the room to do some chores while it cooled. When I came back, my husband had eaten half of it! I’m happy he enjoys eating healthy, wholesome food, but my blood sugars clearly didn’ t like sharing. I didn’t get enough fat in to avoid a spike. I’ll have to make double lunch next time so I can share without my blood sugars being upset.

Maintenance Round 1, Week 4, Day 7– 10/23

Weight: 204.8= down .2 pound

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 92
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 93
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 92

I’m starting to think my high blood sugars are due to a meter malfunction and not me. Today my 1-hour PP reading was 111. I felt that was far too high so I retested twice and came out with 93. That felt right to me so I went with that. At my 2-hour PP the first reading said 103 then the two after were 92. I have the no code strips so I don’t know what to do in this case. I’m hoping SugarFree has some advice on this.

[Note: Missy, it could be the strips … or it could be the rebound effect that comes from taking your BS several times in a row. To test the meter/strips, first look at the strip expiration date and make sure it’s not even close. If it’s within a month, dump them and get new strips. If they have a long time to go before that, get out the ‘control’ liquid that came with your meter and use it with a test strip to see if the meter is within range. If it is, your first readings were correct, because most meters are within a 15% accuracy. There are more accurate meters on the market though, and if you’re willing to pay for it and it matters that much to you, go for it! Otherwise, don’t worry about one odd reading if your numbers are generally low AND stable. :)]

I’ve noticed I haven’t felt hungry for the last couple of days. Today I wasn’t hungry at all. I felt full half way through my lunch and so I didn’t force myself to eat the rest of it. I felt very satisfied. I’ve had good energy today and I’m enjoying the weekend. I hope everyone is doing the same!

[Note: The lack of hunger indicates that your body is burning a lot of fat. If so, it will show up tomorrow on your measuring tape! And don’t forget — you’re back on Protocol tomorrow, Round 2.]

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 1 – 10/24

Weight: 205.2= up .4 pounds

Measurements:
Bust: 41.5” = down .25″
Waist: 33” = No change
Hips: 46” = down .25″

Breakfast: Tea with 1 tsp. cream

Lunch:
– 9 oz. Chicken Thigh
– 3 oz. Celery
– 4 oz. Spinach
– 3 oz. Mushrooms
– 1 oz. Red Onion
– 2 oz. Yams
– 1 Tb. Butter

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 3 egg whites
– 3 oz. Lettuce
– 1 oz. Spring/Herb Mix

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 842.4
– Fat: 51.2 grams (55%)
– Protein: 70.4 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 25.0 grams (12%)

Ketostix: Large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 100
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 119
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 105

All of my sugar readings were high again today. I checked the expiration on my test strips and they are good until next fall. My meter didn’t come with any control liquid so I think I’ll invest in a better meter. The one I am using was super cheap and it acts like it! It felt weird to eat my yam with only 1 tb of butter after these weeks of eating higher fat. I wasn’t hungry again today and my lunch was very filling.

[Note: Missy, it’s hard to transition back to Protocol after yummy Maintenance, but here are a few tips to make it easier: First, no more 2 oz of starch — 1 oz only. Second, you’ve got too much protein in the evening. You should have eaten 1 whole egg and 1 egg white with the salad, and had the extra fat/protein from the other egg and other 2 whites as more chicken with your main meal. That would have helped deal with the sweet potato.

Your main meal should contain almost ALL the fat, protein and carbs for the day, with maybe an egg and a small salad for dinner. Dinner isn’t really a meal, it’s a snack. This means less insulin is produced and it will quickly and efficiently deal with the small amount of glucose produced by the meal. And then it will just as quickly disappear — and when that happens, lipolysis can take place and stay in place for many, many hours. This is the whole point of Protocol, and what makes it work so very, very well. :)]

Protocol Round 2, Week 1, Day 2 – 10/25

Weight: 205.2 = no change

Lunch:
– 4 oz Mixed Lettuce
– 4 oz. Sliced Tomatoes
– 8 oz. 85% lean ground beef
– 2 oz. Potatoes
– 3 oz. Yellow Squash

Dinner:
– 2 whole eggs
– 4 egg whites
– 4 oz. Spinach

Fitday stats:
– Calories: 799
– Fat: 50.5 grams (57%)
– Protein: 65.2 grams (33%)
– Carbs: 20.9 grams (10%)

Ketostix: large

Blood Glucose:
– Fasting: 87
– 1-hour PP (after lunch): 89
– 2-hour PP (after lunch): 88

Today I got some control liquid for my meter and confirmed that it is reading way out of range. I used my meter at work and had very normal numbers. I’ll work on getting a new meter immediately.

October 31, 2011 — My Farewell.

A big part of this weight-loss journey I have been on has been learning to speak my truth, and the truth I need to speak today is that I can not do the protocol any longer. I work at a Native American clinic and two weeks ago I got transferred to work out at the reservation.  It is thirty minutes from civilization and for the past few weeks I have had to leave the reservation to drive to an internet connection just to do my posts, which is why it has been late some days. I have also taken on a second job at night which is taxing my time and I am trying to eliminate a lot of my time stressors right now.

I can’t express to you how grateful I am for the education you have provided me. For the first time in my life I feel like I am in control of my body. I finally feel like I have the tools I need to continue on with this lifestyle. I feel better than I ever have and I know I will eat this way for the rest of my life.

Thank you again,
Missy

Missy, you’ve been a joy to work with, and I’m pleased that the Protocol has not only worked for you, but has given you the tools to use for the rest of your life. If you do use them by going  on Protocol and Maintenance rounds, I know you will continue to lose pounds and inches and even better, continue to get even healthier, with energy to spare to do your very valuable work. We’ll all miss you, but I know I speak for all my readers when I say we wish you well, and hope you’ll think about us from time to time.

With fond regard,

SugarFree