Still cheated today...

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/19: 126.6 lbs     Weight 7/18:  127.4
Weight Lost: 0.8 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 4.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


Gotta work tonight. I woke up at 9am, got a call from work asking me to work tonight, so I agreed, that way I could have Friday off.


I was surprised when I saw my weigh today, despite eating a lot of freshly made buttermilk donuts last night!

Breakfast:

Beef broth with beef (calf muscles), with cabbage shreds as my 'noodles'

Snack:

Kefir milk with buttermilk donuts (2 holes and 2 small)

Lunch (with family, before going to work)

I served tacos, but for myself, I used 2-egg omelet instead of a taco shell or wrap.

I also have a cup of coconut water (quite sweet) and a few bites of coconut milk.

Supper:

Salad greens with yogurt dressing

1 tin can of sardines in olive oil

Snack:

1 mozarella stick

1 cup yogurt

Just another day with some cheating

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight 7/18: 127.4 lbs     Weight yesterday:  127.5
Weight Lost: 0.1 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 3.6 lbs     Net Gain: 0 

Dunno how I lost weight when I cheated the past night. It is not 7/20 and I am having a hard time recalling the foods I had. I will try.

Brunch
I ate eggs with liver pate

Snack/Lunch: (eaten around 2pm)
Kefir milk (my first time!). I rinsed the kefir grains with raw whole milk, so the kefir milk plus milk got to about 1 cup.

Supper:
Salmon (grilled, leftover) with salad greens with yogurt dressing.

Snack: 
I made buttermilk donuts tonight...had to eat some...okay, I ate a lot!


Later I had yogurt before bedtime.

Still trying to stick to phase 1 or 2 but...

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 127.5 lbs     Weight yesterday:  129

Weight Lost: 1.5 lbs  Weight Gained: 1.5 lb     Net Loss: 3.5 lbs     Net Gain: 0 

I slept kinda restless towards the latter half. I kept pinching my belly thinking I probably overate too much when I had supper at work and a BIG portion of salmon with my salad greens. I knew I ate way more past my satiety point. But by the time I actually woke up and got up, I felt my belly smaller again. Maybe I was dreaming about it being big again. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my weight. I even double check just to make sure it was not being inaccurate.

Breakfast (which was actually our family's supper at 430pm before I went to work):
While I served BLT minus the T to my son and hubby, I myself ate leftover zucchini spaghetti with leftover butter-fried chicken (unfortunately this was chicken coated with flour that I prepped for my son and hubby yesterday).  I was hoping the flour was not that much anyway. However, knowing now about sugars (complex or simple) affecting insulin release affecting fat storage, I probably stored fat in that diet. I got hungry by 9pm so I ate my "lunch" at work.

Lunch:
Leftover salmon (this was a smaller portion than I had last night) over salad greens (I probably was able to eat 4 cups of greens) topped with yogurt dressing. That dressing seemed tastier!

Snack (or supper?):
Now this is where I cheated again. My co-worker was eating PBJ and I just got tempted to prepare one for myself as well. I tried to limit my jam to 1 tbsp, but I know the PB was a no-no for Phase 1 or 2 of Harcombe diet. Anyway, I thought, consider this as cheating then go back to Phase 1.  I figure if I limit my cheats to once every 3 days or every week and try to stick to a phase 1 diet the rest of the time, I probably should still lose some weight. I also had coffee to which I added 2 tsp of coconut crystal, which surprisingly tasted very sweet to me. I probably have heightened my sweet taste sensation due to elimination of sweet foods in my diet. I also added just 1 tsp of cream.  This snack is going to put my insulin to work and will most likely cause fat storage. I will not be surprised to find myself heavier next weighing.

N.B. I am typing this while at work, and I am trying not to finish the whole cup of coffee.  I am wide awake now...

Phase 2 is extension of Phase 1 but...

with the addition of some foods. I figure, since I crave milk and cheese, etc., I will just try to "continue" Phase 1 but with intermittent inclusion of foods allowed for Phase 2, such as milk and cheese.

In understanding Phase 2, it is to continue to fight off Candida so I will not have the cravings. It is true that I don't have the cravings anymore, and what makes it difficult is that my family craves these things and is not too receptive of the idea that they will have to miss so much of my baking (they love breads and desserts). also, I have quite a lot of the refined products in my pantry (all purpose flour and sugar) that honestly I don't use much anymore, but I would hate to go to waste. It's not that I have tons of weight to lose anyway. It's the stubborn 10-15 pounds that's remaining. So maybe a healthy dose of anti-Candida foods (like yogurt and fermented dairy products such as creme fraiche) will be enough to ward off any Candida-related symptoms and control cravings. And to effect weight loss still, I will have to minimize my carb intake. so maybe 1 major carb source every few days would suffice.

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 129 lbs     Weight yesterday:  128.6

Weight Lost: 0 lbs  Weight Gained: 0.4 lb     Net Loss: 2.0 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


Breakfast:  I was too hungry when I woke up!

2-egg omelet with bacon bits and caramelized onions, with tomato salad

avocado with creme fraiche and just a tiny amount of raw honey (about 1/2 tsp)

Snack:
Chicharon

Lunch (served as supper to family before I went to work)
zucchini spaghetti
butter-fried chicken

Supper (at work)
Salad greens with sunflower nuts, hardboiled egg, and a big piece of grilled salmon with yogurt dressing

I think it will be easier for me to stick to Phase 2 sort of

Rule of Phase 1: No carbs, no sugar,  no caffeeine, no breads, no milk, no vinegar (like in my pickles). Can only have unlimited good fat (animal fat, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil), meat, lots of veggies except mushroom and potatoes).  Can have brown rice 50 g per day with or without fat meal.

Goal of Phase 1: Candida die-off

Expected Results: Withdrawal symptoms, major cravings

Unavoidable Results: Weight Loss

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 128.6 lbs     Weight yesterday:  129.0

Weight Lost: 0.4 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 lb     Net Loss: 2.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0 


I was expecting to gain weight due to what I ate yesterday (the no-nos). But I lost weight and I definitely felt less fat on my belly compared to yesterday.  Maybe the effect of my food intake yesterday will be felt tomorrow.


But looking back to how much I weighed just before I really started the Harcombe Diet...I remember weighing 138+ lbs that got me panicky...That was about 1 week before I considered this diet, before I read the reviews on amazon.  I panicked because just days prior to that I weighed 137, and prior I was 135...days before...imagine....gaining more and more each day. I panicked that within two days I would hit 140 lbs.  I was not ready to give up eating and give up nutrition. As it turns out with this diet, I did not have to. I just have to know what nutrients to take in more of.  And manipulate their effects on my weight gain/loss by proper combination.


When did I actually start this diet? It was July 27th when I started limiting my carbs and caffeine to a few tsp of sugar in 1 cup of coffee and 1 soda a day and 1 slice of homemade bread...and in those little changes I lost 2 pounds already. I took the full plunge on July 29th, eating more of fat+protein and eliminating sugar and caffeine totally. I lost an average of 1 pound per day without getting hungry, eating 3 full meals a day, except on that day I had a tummy ache (July 29th) which lasted 1.5 days, so I only had beef broth with meat. My typical meal was fatty meat or eggs with veggies.


BREKKY: 

2 eggs, sunny side-up fried in bacon fat

1/2 cup yoghurt sprinkled with salt

Realizing that my plain yoghurt is so tangy it could qualify as a dressing instead of having vinegar, I searched for recipes using yoghurt for dressing. I think I will try this Lemon Yoghurt Dressing. I have all ingredients available. Will use this for salad dressing for a change. Maybe my family will like it too. It will be nice to have this creamy dressing without using any carb thickeners.

LUNCH:

I was not hungry, but that last strawberry-banana muffin was calling my attention...I thought, it would qualify as low-carb still...so I ate it at around 2pm.

SUPPER:

I felt that I had to make a special meal. So I bought two salmon bellies and marinated these in yogurt-lemon-herbs homemade type of dressing (much like marinating in vinegar). Grilled this on a cedar plank. Served with salad greens with cukes and sunflower seeds. I used a yogurt-lemon dressing.

Then I did a most disgusting thing: I sipped about 1/3 cup of the saccharinely sweet strawberry milkshake that my sons made (I had to dilute with whole milk to lessen the sweetness). I could not really drink much of it. It's a no-no anyway. Cheat again!

Snack:

1 hard-boiled egg

Another cheating day...when will I truly come back to Phase 1?

Rule of Phase 1: No carbs, no sugar,  no caffeeine, no breads, no milk, no vinegar (like in my pickles). Can only have unlimited good fat (animal fat, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil), meat, lots of veggies except mushroom and potatoes).  Can have brown rice 50 g per day with or without fat meal.

Goal of Phase 1: Candida die-off

Expected Results: Withdrawal symptoms, major cravings

Unavoidable Results: Weight Loss

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 129.0 lbs     Weight yesterday:  128.6

Weight Lost: 0 lbs  Weight Gained: 0 .4 lb     Net Loss: 2 lbs     Net Gain: 0


ang labo...para konti lang na carb nakain ko, nag-seesaw na naman ako


Ang hirap pala mag-diet pag summer. Sa init ng panahon, kelangan ko rin ng drinks...milkshakes shared with my family...sa winter na lang kaya ako mag-diet??? Oh well, I will just try to minimize my carb intake.


BF:
2-egg omelet with caramelized onions and bacon bits (I used the bacon fat to fry the omelet in)
tomato salad with chives and patismansiluya


Snack:
Too full to eat lunch, but I made strawberry shake for my sons, and since it was a hot day to be working out in the  garden, I could not help but have some (cheating again! How will I lose weight when I do this all the time???)). I had 1/3 c of the strawberry milkshake.


Lunch:
A late one. Leftover salmon loaf which I broke into pieces (about 1 oz), 1 whole hard-boiled egg, and salad greens with my patismansiluya dressing.


Supper:

Could not help it. Our family ate at a restaurant before watching Spiderman. So, I had broiled salmon with lemon dill sauce (seemed like there was some thickener and/or sugar it it) and 1/3 cup of rice pilaf (not brown rice but at least I ate very little of it).  Non-THD compatible was the two slices of whole wheat bread I had (yummy!) slathered with butter. I did manage to avoid sodas, as I ordered lemonade, which was made sweet, unfortunately. But the best part? I did not feel bloated even after finishing the whole salmon on my plate. Oh, and I did have about 3 pcs of battered deep-fried shrimps I stole from my husband's plate. 

Hey, it's a weekend. This blog is turning to be a foodlog for me, not necessarily a THD journey.

But, I always have in the back of my mind the rules of the THD, and that's what keeps me from indulging too much from the no-no's.

Back to Phase 1

Rule of Phase 1: No carbs, no sugar,  no caffeeine, no breads, no milk, no vinegar (like in my pickles). Can only have unlimited good fat (animal fat, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, palm oil), meat, lots of veggies except mushroom and potatoes).  Can have brown rice 50 g per day with or without fat meal.

Goal of Phase 1: Candida die-off

Expected Results: Withdrawal symptoms, major cravings

Unavoidable Results: Weight Loss

Starting Weight: 131.0        Weight today: 128.6 lbs     Weight yesterday:  129.6

Weight Lost: 1 lbs  Weight Gained: 0      Net Loss: 2.4 lbs     Net Gain: 0


The past days that I was supposed to be on Phase 2, I was not really following the rules, often mixing in carb with fat meals.  Or I would sneak in a few carb every now and then. My weight basically plateaued.


So three days ago I made the decision to start all over again. And on that day, I binged on carbs - bread and ice cream (to please my husband).


And I started again on Phase 1 two days ago...sort of. Well actually I had some yogurt with strawberries then, but the rest was Harcombe-compatible.

Salmon Fritters
Salad greens with tomato salsa

Yesterday was 100% Harcombe. My usual egg omelet with onions, tomato salad for breakfast, ginisang pechay for lunch, stir-fried chicken with veggies for supper. Chicharon for snacks at work to keep me awake.




BRUNCH:

Salmon fritters

Salad greens with tomato salsa


SUPPER:
I cooked sliced ham with potatoes and cabbage for the family. I only got a small piece of that ham (with the fatty layer next to the skin) but I had a bowl also of beef broth with beef meat (from tail part), with shredded cabbage (instead of noodles, so it is like beef ramen without the pasta).


Cheating: I baked a strawberry-banana-coconut muffin that used coconut crystals (low GI) instead of regular sugar, and I replaced 1/2 c of APF with coconut flour and added  2 more eggs because the coconut flour seemed to absorb to much moisture. I had strawberry-banana jam with 1 piece of strawberry inside the muffin. I baked these mainly for my sons, but since this is my first time experimenting with coconut flour and coconut crystals for baking, I had to try the outcome. It was not disappointing, but I did have a whole muffin. (that would be the equivalent of 20 ml (or roughly 1 T + 1 t) all purpose flour. The coconut flour is made from coconut meat and is more of saturated fat than carb, and has low GI as well, so it is mainly considered low-carb. (At least I really did not have grains). However, I ate the muffin shortly before our supper...so it might have, with the very small amount of carb in it, somehow spiked up my insulin, such that insulin could have started fat storage of my fatty meal....Oh well...


I also ate a few strawberries. So this day actually almost qualifies as phase 2.