I'm going to see if I can manage to clip back some of the polyantha to free up the little (well, not so little) wildflower without stressing it, and maybe get some more photos of both the bloom and the leaf. It does seem to grow in upright single stalks like the wooly ironweed, and the blossom is showy enough to be seen from quite a distance. The suggestions for the grasses are terrific. I keep running into the quandary of what can take all the conditions in my trouble spot. Heavy clay, really hot in the summer and soggy in the winter, and then there's the wind. Sigh. I think the grasses might be the perfect choice. I had originally wanted to put in a nice clump of gaillardia, but I'm sure not having any success with it. I had sort of had a color theme in mind, with the gaillardia paired with the orange Mexican honeysuckle (Montezuma) that is clinging to life on the fence behind it. The red-orange-gold Pinata rose is sited not too far away and I thought it might be an interesting combination if I could put some other things in there to soften it a little. Sounds like the grasses might be the perfect thing I don't know why I've had such poor luck in growing echinacea in the past. I've never been able to get it to do much of anything. It wants to stay small and sparse and not at all like the lovely photos I've seen of it in big clumps. I'm sure it was a matter of where I planted it, and the fact that it often got left out when I was busy caring for a really big garden. I might try again. I might also have my mother see if she can find starts or seeds of her big Gloriosa daisies. They seem to tolerate just about anything, and they're big and showy, if I can just keep them from seeding and taking over the place as they are wont to do. At one time I was fiddling with improving or reproducing some of the particular ones that grew wild on her property, and it would be fun to do that again. Do you have any idea of whether they might grow here? Pat

Goal128 I am not really one to talk but try and stick as close as you can with the approved foods. What I mean by that is the fruit allowed is Oranges, apples, watermelon, strawberries. It was mango season here and well I had some, that equaled no loss or less of a loss. Can you eat it sure, will it show up in your numbers probably. I tweak things too. Like I add EVOO just a tiny amount into my salads. Otherwise I would not be able to eat 2 everyday. But what I have learned is you have such a short amount of time on this HCG you want to make the most of it. The further along you get the harder things get and the losses are not so grand after 40 days in. I was going to go 60 days but with July 4th parties and slowing losses did a break after I think 45 days I'm not sure now but they want you to cycle through p3 and P4 so it's a really really long time till you can cycle back around to the p2. You mentioned rice, I would absolutely cut the rice out, it is loaded with sugar and starch. I know I love it too : ( But this diet is not forever it is just for now. Stick to it get your numbers and then you can go back for these wonderful foods. Please check out the web site I mentioned above it has helped me out so much.

I'm curious how this works: you eat a log, then take hcg--doctor prescribed/administered? And then go on a 500 calorie diet? What keeps your body from triggering starvation mode? And what does hcg do to cause weight loss?

Hi Lexi, I jumped into this thread cause I am doing the research now on the HCG drops. I am so confused as to where to purchase them. One of the web sites said that it has to be delivered through the mail with an ice pack. Did yours come that way? As for you loosing your lunch I can personally say that years ago I was on a pretty strict diet and took a vitamin and moments later got to see it again. But that was on an empty stomach maybe you could find a coated multi as the foods that your consuming are not that much in volume. Please let me know where you got your HCG drops and keep me/us posted as to how your doing. I am a type 2 diabetic and trying to figure out how to go about this whole thing.