Step 1 - 2nd Loading Day

I woke up with no hunger pains and the feeling that I would never have to eat again...or at least until the weekend.  But I knew this was my second loading day, and I needed to make the best of it if I was going to reach my target fat grams and calories.  I also knew there was no way I was going to do that.  I really did try.  But after eating another breakfast sandwich and blueberry streusel muffin from Starbucks along with a White Hot Chocolate (yuck. unless you're into white chocolate.  which I'm not. but you guessed it.  it had more fat and calories than milk chocolate.), I could barely get the rest of my apple fritter from yesterday down.  I ate some assorted nuts for lunch, finished the rest of my Pork Milanese and Caesar salad from Olive Garden then roasted a chicken for my family.  I had originally planned on going with take-out from Outback Steakhouse --and you may be wondering why I had all these take-out foods on my loading menu, but I seriously cannot possibly create anything at home with as much fat and calories as what you can find on a menu at your local chain restaurant -- but I just couldn't do it.  So I sat down, ate some mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli with cheese and as much crispy chicken skin as I could (which actually was pretty yummy after being in the rotisserie oven).  Later on that night, I had the privilege of being able to go out and listen to a great local band with some friends and the opportunity to imbibe on Guinness and Sangria.  After getting home late, I finished up a double chocolate mousse cake and gave up the ghost.  It was finished.

Step 1 - Loading Days on HCG Protocol

I have to admit I was more concerned about the loading days on the HCG diet than the "starvation" part of the diet.  Trying to cram as much fat and calories into your body in two days to the point of misery didn't make much sense to me in the beginning and I dreaded the discomfort of it all.  So I did my research, found the worst, fatty, high-caloric foods out there and planned my menu accordingly.  My goal was to eat as little food with the most amount of fat and calories.  I started off with a trip to Dunkin' Donuts, got myself a breakfast sandwich, a donut and a medium coffee.  After eating every bit, I felt like maybe loading day was going to be manageable.  Then I headed to Burger King to purchase a Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich meal (yes, it has more fat and calories than a Whopper) with a large fry and large milkshake.  I ate the sandwich and fries no problem.  Then I got to the milkshake.  When I couldn't even drink 1/4 of it, my resolve started to crumble.  I sipped that thing throughout the rest of the day until it made me want to...how shall we say it?...disgorge.  By the time supper rolled around, I couldn't even think about food and had to go lie down.  At this point I was useless to myself, my family and all around.  It wasn't until about 8:30pm that I could even consider trying to eat the Olive Garden take-out my loving husband picked up for me on his way home from work.  The Pork Milanese was yummy (and not something I'd ever choose to order, but it was very high in fat and calories) along with the Caesar salad (yes, again...high in fat and calories thanks to the dressing).  But I couldn't finish it and was in a food coma by the time I was done.  I went to bed again and sleep overtook my food-addled brain.

You may wonder why anyone would do this to themselves.  Dr. Simeons who is the doctor behind the research of the HCG Protocol puts it like this:

One cannot keep a patient comfortably on 500 Calories unless his normal fat reserves are reasonably well stocked. It is for this reason also that every case, even those that are actually gaining must eat to capacity of the most fattening food they can get down until they have had the third injection. It is a fundamental mistake to put a patient on 500 Calories as soon as the injections are started, as it seems to take about three injections before abnormally deposited fat begins to circulate and thus become available.

Most patients who have been struggling with diets for years and know how rapidly they gain if they let themselves go are very hard to convince of the absolute necessity of gorging for at least two days, and yet this must he insisted upon categorically if the further course of treatment is to run smoothly. 

... a difference appears between those patients who have literally eaten to capacity during the first two days of treatment and those who have not. The former feel remarkably well; they have no hunger, nor do they feel tempted when others eat normally at the same table. They feel lighter, more clear-headed and notice a desire to move quite contrary to their previous lethargy. Those who have disregarded the advice to eat to capacity continue to have minor discomforts and do not have the same euphoric sense of self-being until about a week later. It seems that their normal fat reserves require that much more time before they are fully stocked.

A New Kind of "Diet" - the HCG Protocol

I can't say that I've had many weight problems growing up.  I was thin and perfectly content with my weight until I got married.  It may have been my new husband's mad cooking skills or the fact I was a professional nanny sitting around watching children and eating all day, but whatever it was, I was finally educated in the lifestyle, habits and emotions of the overweight.  Even with my extra padding, I couldn't complain all too much as I never achieved the clinical status of obese (adj. very fat or overweight; corpulent).  But not feeling good about your body, whether because it's too fat, thin, unhealthy, whatever, is not a fun place to be in.  Thus began my journey to becoming thinner and healthier.

I first started with eating healthier food and working out at a gym almost every day.  I'm sure I became healthier and ended up trading some fat for muscle, but it was still discouraging to not lose any weight.  After getting pregnant with Jayce, I stumbled upon the Atkins diet which a friend of mine had tried successfully.  I thought I'd give it a shot, and as I'm a protein body type and didn't have to limit the amount of fat, I was extremely successful at it, losing about 15-20 pounds pretty quickly.  I felt so good with so much more energy, I just knew this was going to be my new lifestyle.  After another pregnancy and another successful course of low-carb dieting, I was able to keep most of the weight off and feel pretty good.  However I have never been able to get past my plateau weight - you know, that weight you could possibly be content at for the rest of your life, but you'd prefer to lose more.  Plus the low-carb, high-protein lifestyle is one you have to be pretty good about all of the time - any cheating or gorging on sweets/carbs, and you've got another couple pounds to lose again.

After my fourth pregnancy which ended in my first C-section ever, my body rebelled.  The trauma it had endured rendered my body unable to lose even one pound afterward, and I ended up holding on to the weight as well as that unhealthy "off" feeling for another year.  Visiting my naturopath and going through a cleanse, taking supplements and exercising every day did wonders for getting me back on my feet and back to health again.  In conjunction with the Atkins, I ended up losing the 20 pounds of pregnancy weight of which my body had refused to let go.  Finally I was headed somewhere!  But I hit my plateau again and haven't budged since.  No matter how much I exercise, how little carbs I eat, I can't lose any more weight.  Enter the HCG Protocol...

Upon first hearing about the HCG diet regimen, I dismissed it immediately, thinking it sounded illogical and unhealthy - another dangerous fad which the desperate dieters were willing to try.  Never would I subject my body to the loading required in the first couple days and then the starvation afterward.  How could that be healthy??  But knowing someone who went through it and had great success piqued my curiosity enough to want to know more.  Luckily, she was about to visit NH and was willing to teach us all about it.

Affordable HCG through whom I'm doing the diet, puts it like this:

Of the three kinds of fat, structural fat is essential because it cushions our organs. Then there's the kind of fat that gives us a reserve of energy, fueling the body between meals. But a third kind of fat-the unsightly fat that ruins our appearance-is totally unhealthy. This unwanted fat is not only unhealthy, it just happens to be almost impossible to lose. It can be mobilized only in times of starvation and pregnancy.

In a non-pregnant state, HCG as a weight-loss aid, helps reduce the craving for food by making stored fat available for metabolism, thus aiding in the ability to adhere to a rigid diet program. HCG accesses unnecessary fat stored in the body just as it does in early pregnancy.  Abnormal fat deposits disappear; the double chin, potbelly and fat around hips and thighs are the first to go. HCG does not deplete subcutaneous or other essential fat.

Most HCG Weight-loss participants see a loss in girth (inches) before they see any substantive drop in the scales. When properly supervised, the result is rapid weight loss and improved body shape during and after treatment. Reshaping of body contour is quickly noticeable in those patients who struggle with fat located in buttocks and hips area. As the HCG metabolizes stored body fat, about 2000 calories are released into the bloodstream, thus allowing for a low calorie per day diet without experiencing fatigue, weakness or hunger.

So by severely restricting your caloric intake while taking the HCG, your body loses the weight that is locked away and is typically inaccessible.  The all-natural HCG drops that you put under your tongue three times a day before meals help you not to feel hungry as the pounds melt away.  This diet not only helps you to lose weight, it reshapes your body and makes it extremely difficult to put the weight back on after the diet is complete.  It finally started to make some sense, and though still a bit of a skeptic, I signed up immediately and looked forward to starting the HCG Protocol. 

Today is my first day and am on Step 1, the first of the loading days. More on this later...

Savannah - My Kind of Town

We started our day off in Savannah at the Railroad Museum much to Landon's delight as he's all about the trains! Most trains were off-limits for climbing, but there were some that we were allowed on, and one luxury train we were able to tour. There was also a small play train for the boys to climb on, and a model of a train set inside. The boys thought it very fun.



Afterward we went on a trolley tour of downtown Savannah which revealed many fascinating stories about the city's history and included driving around all the many park squares (including the one which held the Forrest Gump bench found in the movie) they have as well as passing by beautiful homes and buildings. The architecture is amazing, and the city itself oozes such Southern charm. Here are some of the photos we took...



After our day trip around Savannah, we stopped at Paula Deen's restaurant to see if we could get a bite to eat (not a huge Paula Deen fan, but knew enough about her to be curious about her restaurant), but unfortunately due to construction on the streets around it, the restaurant didn't even have electricity and water so no luck there! Instead we stopped at another restaurant right off the riverwalk which served us some good 'ole Southern food. Lauryn and I then boarded the Ghosts & GravestonesTours of Savannah to check out the spookier sights and sounds of the city where we had a lovely (albeit cheesy) ride on the tour bus listening to the actress spin her tales of ghost lore. We thought we were actually going to be able to visit a home featured on Ghost Hunters (we realized we had an older brochure touting this benefit) and officially proclaimed haunted, but alas we drove right by it much to Lauryn's and my chagrin {and truth be told, relief too}. But we were able to take a couple pictures of it...



Lauryn and I really fell in love with Savannah because it was a full-scale city with a down-home feel to it. Out of all that we got to see and experience down South, this was by far the favorite of our travels. We certainly would love to go and visit again, not only to experience their wonderful hospitality but also to further explore its rich history and beauty.

Landon's 2!!

coasting on his reputation today because he's a little fragile, so it's hard to be fierce. ~StoryPeople

While in Hilton Head, SC, our littlest man turned 2 years old. His actual birthday was spent touring Charleston, SC so we decided to have the actual celebration the next day when we were staying closer to home.

Landon did a great job on the long car trip down (and back) - he's a very happy, content child who doesn't complain much. He takes delight in the smallest things, and you should hear his squeals of delight when Mommy comes down the stairs or Daddy walks in the door. The day we celebrated his birthday, it was a nice enough day to visit the beach which was only a 10 minute walk away. Not too many people were on the beach, and though the water was too cold to enjoy, the boys had a blast playing in the sand.


The day before his birthday, we ordered a custom cake for Landon from a nearby supermarket. We searched for any kind of cake that had trucks on it (it is his one passion in life right now), but since that didn't exist, we settled on a farm scene with a John Deere tractor. We had brought about 3 wrapped presents down with us for him to open, however it was the cheap $5 tractor cake topper that he cherished and kept with him the entire vacation.

Landon must have understood quite clearly what a 2-year-old is supposed to be like and what is expected of him, because within a day or two of turning two, Landon started acting like one. He became very sensitive to things, frustrated and overall more expressive. It was amazing how Landon changed just over the course of our vacation. Not only did turning two affect his emotional development, but it also affected his physical and verbal development as well. He started trying to say words such as "star" and "moon" and making verbal noises he hadn't made yet. This was a relief for us as he had yet to actually start talking.

Turning two also showed us for the first time that he could run! We're not sure if it was being cooped up in the car for so long and then in the stroller during our tour around Charleston that finally spurred him into action, but as soon as he hit the beach the next day, he started running and wouldn't stop.



So now we have an official two-year-old in the house, and he continues to delight us each day!