I hate stalls with a serious mad passion.  But I've come to expect them. So I'm not totally freaked out that the scale didn't move at all this morning.  In fact, I seem to have entered Challenge Mode without even realizing it. I spent the better portion of my online time this afternoon looking for tried and true methods to break through a loss stall on hcg.

Here are some of the better ideas I've found, just in case you also require a way to beat a stall into the ground.

1. The Apple Day. I actually kind of love Apple Days, and I've been known to do one even when the scale is moving just fine.  On an Apple Day, you get six of the biggest, juiciest apples you can find and eat them throughout the day. That's it. And by "that's it," I mean, that's all you eat and that's as easy as it is.  The first time I decided to do an apple day, I was very apprehensive. Apples are yummy, sure, but  nothing except apples for an entire day? Blech.  However, I found that I really enjoyed the freedom of not having to plan my meals or carry food around with me if I were going to be out during a meal time. I just brought a couple apples with me.  So on days when I know I'm going to be running all over creation, I sometimes will do an Apple Day, just because it's easier.

2. The Detox Bath. I am a big fan of baths. I love to sit in warm water with some music playing, a large glass of water and a book or magazine.  It's one of my favorite ways to unwind. This bath is like that, just a little different.  This bath is full of all kinds of fun stuff to help pull the gunk out of you. Through your sweat pores. If you don't like to sweat, get over it.  Add 2 cups of baking soda, 2 cups of epsom salts and 1 cup of sea salt to a bath that's as hot as you can stand it.  If you've got some, throw in some ginger, maybe a little tea tree oil. If you want it to smell good, add some lavender oil, or another that you love. Soak in it for 40 minutes. You are going to sweat. If you're not sweating, make the water hotter.  I also use a portable heater to make my bathroom warm, since my skin is pretty sensitive to hot water. When the 40 minutes is up, drain the water and rinse off in a warm shower. Don't plan on taking a normal shower and washing your hair and stuff. Your body needs to rest.  In fact, this is an excellent time to go to bed. You may continue to sweat for a good while after your bath. Awesome! More detox! (If you have high blood pressure, you probably should skip this bath.)

3. Journal your Food. I use SparkPeople to track what I've eaten throughout the day and my daily weigh ins. When I'm not on protocol, I also use the site to track my workouts and calories burned.  If you're not writing down everything you eat and making sure you're hitting and/or not exceeding your allotted 500 calories for the day, you might want to start doing that during a stall. Remember, not eating enough is just as bad as eating too much!

4. Check your labels. I'm not talking food labels; I'm talking personal care products.  If there is oil in, say, your moisturizer, your skin may be absorbing enough that it's having an impact on your scale. And check all of it, not just obvious things. Oil can be in anything from lip gloss to shampoo.

5. Add some variety.  If you're eating chicken and spinach for two meals a day, your body is liable to think there's not enough food around, and start holding on to everything it's got. If you're stumped for things to eat, check out Lianne's blog over at My HCG Cooking for some great ideas.

6. Chinese Water Torture. Okay, not really. But upping your water intake can get the scale moving again.  You should be drinking 2L of water per day, as it is. If you're doing that and still facing a stall, try drinking even more.  My rule of thumb, whether I'm on protocol or not, is that my pee needs to be nearly clear. If it's not, I'm not drinking enough water.

7. Poop. Yeah, I said it. There's something about this diet that makes bowel movements somewhat rarer than they'd been previously.  Lots of people swear by Smooth Move Tea. I am not a big fan.  A friend who is an RN suggested Milk of Magnesia instead, and on the few occasions I've used it, I've been happy with the results.  Please understand that taking any kind of laxative is not PART of this diet and is not in any way required.  If you haven't had a bowel movement in a few days, though, you could be facing some compact issues, and might need a little boost in that department. Some people suggest taking a daily fiber supplement while you're on protocol to avoid this problem altogether.

8. Exercise. A little.  Too much strenuous activity on 500 calories a day is going to backfire. You're likely to make your stall last longer, and do some damage to your body in the process.  Best case scenario of overexercising while you're on the Very Low Calorie Diet, you're gonna end up with hands like Madonna or Sarah Jessica Parker. (Google them. Frightening.) So you definitely don't want to overdo it. But, a nice walk, or some gentle yoga, even a little extra playing in the yard with the kids can help to break through a stall.  Again, I'd avoid anything having to do with weights, because, seriously, look at SJP's hands!

For my part, I did a nice detox bath last night, drank enough water to drown a cow, and took a half mile walk today.  I'll report back in the morning!

Where do you order HCG?

This question has been coming up. I'm not here to advertise for anyone, but I'll be happy to tell you where I got mine. They are homeopathic HCG; sublingual drops, called EVOKE. Clicking on the name will bring you to their website.

These homeopathic HCG drops are working for me. I can't speak to any other brands because I've never tried any others. Also? Super fast shipping. That's great, so you can get it in your hot little hands while you're still all excited to get started.

Another HCG drop specific question I've been hearing is: What do they taste like?

Well, they're not yummy. I'm not tempted to down my bottle or anything. But I don't find them horrible. They actually have a kind of alcohol-y/medicinal taste to them. I know that this bothers some people. One friend I have who is also following the HCG protocol absolutely HATES them. But, not enough to stop using them. Since she's losing weight fast.

I take the same stance, actually. I mean, really, if they tasted like dog poop; they're under my tongue for a couple minutes and then they're gone. But I'm down 12 pounds in less than two weeks. With results like that, who cares what they taste like?

Yes, sweets, that is the truth. I'm down another 1.6 pounds as of this morning, and that makes my grand total 12 pounds. In less than two weeks. Looking for fast weight loss? I found it.

Ten Pounds Released Forever!

TEN!! TEN!!! TEN!!!!

And I'm fitting into my size 12 jeans again!

That happened in less than a week. It's shocking. It's also shocking that, losing weight at the rate that I am, I am learning a HUGE amount of stuff about myself and my relationship with food.

For example, did you know, that I HATE going into a convenience store for a gallon of milk or deodorant or something and walking out without a "treat" (soda, candy bar, chips, etc.)? And guess what else? I figured out where that came from! Anytime I went to the store with my daddy when I was a kid, he'd always get me a "treat" (soda, candy bar, chips, etc.).

At the grocery store last night, with my onions, tomatoes, and apples on the belt, my husband gave me a really weird look when I lunged around the corner and grabbed a bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper. It was my treat. That was when I realized something was weird there.

Then, later, at CVS, to get the deodorant I had forgotten in ShopRite, I was lunging for the sugarless gum and stopped myself. "Do I really need gum?" the answer was no. In fact, I have a pack in my purse already. So, that was when I started thinking about where this compulsion to pick up a little something extra for me came from. And there it is.

Well, now that I know about it, I can see it for the silliness it is and knock it off.

Ten pounds since Saturday. Astonishing.

Questions I've heard lately:

Are you feeling okay? Or lightheaded, etc? I. Feel. Great. At bedtime, I'm tired and ready to sleep. But, that's fine. I mean, it's bedtime. LOL Throughout the day, I'm doing my normal stuff. Working with clients, chasing after Kimmie, walking Joey back and forth to school. And then, of course, there's laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc etc etc. I'm clearheaded (well, as clearheaded as I normally am), and I'm certainly not falling down exhausted.

Did you detox coming off sugar? Not much. The first day, I had a slight headache. I ended up killing it with a diet pepsi and an ibuprofen. It hasn't been back. I guess that's the extent of my sugar detox.

What are you craving? Nothing. There are a few foods that I miss, but nothing that I'm like, "OMG I NEED CHOCOLATE!" Chocolate is a food I miss. The other, of course, is cheese. But, here's the thing, I know I'll have them both again. Soon. This is a temporary parting. And with all the things I'm learning about myself here, in Phase II, I'll have a much healthier relationship with both of them, when I bring them back into my life.

Jitters? Nausea? Rapid heartbeat? This isn't a stimulant. It does nothing for your metabolism. It doesn't "speed" or "boost" anything. It just tells your body it's okay to burn your fat. So the short answer is no, to all three.

What other questions are running around out there? Post them in the comments and I'll address them in the next blog, or a future one.