Thursday, April 29, 2010

Week 2 Stats

This week has been a major turning point for me.  It's not only that I'm fully ensconced in the HCG diet right now (it's still not an easy diet to stay on), but I'm used to the strict menu now as well as the various moods and cravings I might spontaneously get - and I know to deny them.  I started the vlcd* portion of the diet exactly two weeks ago, and it's great knowing I only have a little over one week to complete this stage (on to maintenance stage next).  I'm feeling thinner than ever, and I'm having quite a hard time believing that I'll continue to lose weight and possibly reach my ideal goal weight, something I haven't seen in 15 years!

Week 1 Totals
Pounds lost:  8.2 lbs.
Inches lost:  10.25"

Week 2 Totals
Pounds lost: 4.8 lbs.
Inches lost:  6.25"

Overall Loss Since Beginning
Pounds lost:  13 lbs.
Inches lost:  16"

Obviously you can see my second week did not yield the same astounding results as my first week, and that's normal.  Each successive week on this diet yields a decreased loss yet the key is the weight loss continues to be steady.  So I will continue to lose weight until either I reach the last day of my diet regimen and/or my body reaches its ideal, healthy weight and can't lose anymore (remember you can't lose too much weight on this diet even if you tried).  I've now been on the vlcd stage for a total of 13 days (the end of today will be my 14th) and have lost 13 pounds so I'm right on target. 



* vlcd = very low calorie diet

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Why the HCG Protocol?

When people ask about the diet I'm on and I try to fill them in on the HCG diet, I'm told all about the diets they've tried or the one they're currently on.  People look at me and wonder why I'm on such a restrictive diet especially when I'm not apparently obese.  Why would I do this to myself?  And, more importantly, after hearing about the severe restrictions of the diet, why would they do this to themselves?  Well, there are just about as many diets out there as there are people, and many of them have worked wonders and changed peoples lives.  So why did I choose to start on the HCG diet? Here are my reasons:

It's the diet to end all diets.  
After reading the science behind the diet and all that it entails, I've come to refer to this diet as "hitting the reset button" for my body. It's like putting my hypothalamus back to its natural and healthy starting point, re-energizes my metabolism and reshapes the body.  It's been touted as the most effective, permanent weight loss program that exists.

"Those in whom the disorder [of obesity] is severe will accumulate fat very rapidly, those in whom it is moderate will gradually increase in weight and those in whom it is mild may be able to keep their excess weight stationary for long periods. In all these cases a loss of weight brought about by dieting, treatments with thyroid, appetite-reducing drugs, laxatives, violent exercise, massage, or baths is only temporary and will be rapidly regained as soon as the reducing regimen is relaxed. The reason is simply that none of these measures corrects the basic disorder."

"In treating obesity with the HCG + diet method we are handling what is perhaps the most complex organ in the human body. The diencephalon's* functional equilibrium is delicately poised, so that whatever happens in one part has repercussions in others. In obesity this balance is out of kilter and can only be restored if the technique I am about to describe is followed implicitly." 1

Doing the HCG diet is like completing a whole body cleanse.
The combination of eating such a restricted diet along with drinking copious amounts of water allows the body to flush toxins out and learn to subsist on the healthy foods it's being fed. It also helps put back what is needed in the body.

"Like everyone else, you’ve probably got your body so confused when it comes to weight and fat that it doesn’t know what to do when you try to lose extra weight. It’s not behaving in a natural and healthy fashion when it comes to getting rid of extra weight and fat cells. HCG is a natural element made by the human body and the HCG Detox Diet hinges on the re-introduction of HCG into the body. The HCG re-teaches the body how to deal with fat cells in an appropriate and healthy manner so that you can lose weight and keep it off. HCG’s natural physiological function is to interact with the eating and drinking portion of the brain (so dieters don’t suffer from hunger pains). Between these two natural functions of HCG…dieters are actually succeeding at getting the weight loss results they need."2   

The results of the HCG diet is not only weight loss but a solution to many complicating disorders.

"Some complicating disorders are often associated with obesity, and these we must briefly discuss. The most important associated disorders and the ones in which obesity seems to play a precipitating or at least an aggravating role are the following: the stable type of diabetes, gout, rheumatism and arthritis, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries, coronary disease and cerebral hemorrhage. 
Apart from the fact that they are often - though not necessarily - associated with obesity, these disorders have two things in common. In all of them, modern research is becoming more and more inclined to believe that diencephalic regulations play a dominant role in their causation. The other common factor is that they either improve or do not occur during pregnancy. In the latter respect they are joined by many other disorders not necessarily associated with obesity. Such disorders are, for instance, colitis, duodenal or gastric ulcers, certain allergies, psoriasis, loss of hair, brittle fingernails, migraine, etc.
If HCG + diet does in the obese bring about those diencephalic changes which are characteristic of pregnancy, one would expect to see an improvement in all these conditions comparable to that seen in real pregnancy. The administration of HCG does in fact do this in a remarkable way."
1


Results are typical.
The fine print you always see in commercials for any weight loss program or treatment says, "Results not typical."  In regards to the HCG diet, it was refreshing to see the words "Results typical" for a change.

"As a general rule one can say that 60%-70% of our cases experience little or no difficulty in holding their weight permanently. Relapses may be due to negligence in the basic rule of daily weighing."1


So this is why I'm doing the HCG Diet.  And so far I'm happy to say my results are quite typical... :-)

(If you're interested in learning more about it and want to know how you can do it too, just contact Stacy.)

* DIENCEPHALON . . . A primitive and hence very old part of the brain which lies between and under the two large hemispheres. In man the diencephalon (or hypothalamus) is subordinate to the higher brain or cortex, and yet it ultimately controls all that happens inside the body. It regulates all the endocrine glands, the autonomous nervous system, the turnover of fat and sugar. It seems also to be the seat of the primitive animal instincts and is the relay station at which emotions are translated into bodily reactions.


1.  From Pounds & Inches by Dr. Simeons
2. From lowcarbdietsecret.com


Monday, April 26, 2010

Day 12 - Past the Point of No Return

I just realized that I'm already more than halfway through the 500 calorie portion of this diet.  That is very exciting to me!  Oh, to eat food, glorious food again! :)  I'm planning on completing the 26 days and seeing how I've fared at that point.  You can do this diet for either 26 days or 40 days, depending on how much weight needs to be lost.  Since I did not have more than 25 pounds as my goal, I'm hoping the 26 days will suffice.  So far I've lost on average a pound a day seeing as it's been 11 days (not counting loading days) and I've lost 11 pounds.  I look forward to taking my measurements again in three days.  I have to admit today was really the first day I felt thinner, whether that's physical, mental or both I'm not sure, but it's a good feeling - a very good feeling.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Day 11

I think it's funny that I still wake up every morning surprised that I can't eat anything for breakfast.  You'd think after 10 days of not eating breakfast, I would remember.  I guess after 36 years of habitually eating breakfast, my body will take some time getting used to not breaking my nightly fast.

This past weekend was my first experiment in being away from home (hence the lack of blogging) and having to plan and prepare my food beforehand.  Since I was only gone for two days and one night, it wasn't that difficult and everything went great.  It was hard to not accept my friend's delicious looking dinner she had graciously prepared for my daughter and her family (steak with Hollandaise sauce, french fries and surprisingly hardest of all, Caesar salad), and I realized how food has become such a social thing for me as well.  Food means so many things to so many people and after being on this diet, the most difficult time for me to deny myself food is in social situations.  I've found it creates bonds with old and new friends alike, brings a family together around a table and creates opportunities to comfortably socialize in public places (think of a first date activity). Cooking and dining out also opens up new worlds of cuisine to savor and experiment with at home.  I'd have to admit, overall I miss food and the bonding it creates with others the most.  Funny how diets can open one's eyes to one's own thoughts, beliefs and feelings about food.

The last couple days have been a roller coaster in terms of weight loss.  Friday morning I weighed myself and found I had actually gained a pound!  I knew the weight loss would fluctuate from day to day, but I did not know I could actually gain on this diet.  After speaking to my sponsor, Stacy, she reassured me that this was fairly normal, and I would probably find that I'd lose extra weight the next day.  She was right as the next morning, I found I had lost 2.2 pounds. Phew!  Of course today I found I didn't gain nor lose any weight at all.  So I look forward to tomorrow morning and see what that brings me...

Friday, April 23, 2010

Tips to Help You on the HCG Protocol

For those interested in getting on the HCG Protocol diet, I have found certain tips to help me stay on track with the HCG Diet and wanted to share them with you:
  • If you are seriously considering doing this diet, I’ve found a helpful link for things to do 30-60 days before starting the diet in order to really prime your body for optimizing fat loss.  They call it Phase 1 on this website1 but admit that it’s not completely necessary to do this phase and you can skip it altogether; it’ll just make your body more in shape to do well on the diet – not a bad idea.  
  • Try to eat as much fast food/chain restaurant food on your loading days as possible.  Most, if not all, major restaurants have their nutritional charts online so it's easy to find the most high-fat, high calorie foods on the menu.  This definitely costs more money than making your own fatty meals at home, but you'll ingest more fat and calories in a smaller amount of food than you could at home.
  • Buy all your meat beforehand and then weigh it all out on your food scale before freezing each 100 gram portion in small snack bags.  In the morning, one can simply choose one's two proteins to eat that day and let them defrost.  This has saved me much hassle as well as from opportunities to fail in not having the food ready to cook when I need it.
  • Find a big enough container to keep track of how much water you're drinking.  I began by using my klean kanteen which holds 1/4 of a gallon so if I can drink close to 4 bottles worth, I know I've reached the target goal of one gallon (which, btw, I can't do - at the most, I've been able to drink almost 3/4 gallon).
  • Instead of feeling like you can never have anything yummy to eat, take those foods you've denied yourself during the diet and freeze an individual portion for yourself to enjoy later.  For instance, after making my daughter's birthday ice cream cake, I froze a slice for myself to enjoy once I'm off the diet.  I've also done this with certain chocolates and other yummy foods.  This way I feel like I have something to look forward to and don't feel like I'm missing out on everything
  • Make sure you get a good night's sleep!  I can't reiterate how important this is as it can affect your appetite during the day.  Not only will it prevent increased hunger pains, but by going to bed early, you'll save yourself some late-night cravings.  Many of my friends can attest to this and notice the day after a bad night of sleep that they have not lost as much weight as expected even when not cheating on the diet.
  • If you have a business/pleasure trip planned, prepare ahead of time.  Plan what you'll bring with you, and if it's a short trip, you can even cook the food ahead of time and pack it like a picnic lunch for those times you won't have access to a kitchen.
  • When special events are planned or you know you'll be faced with a food challenge/temptation, make sure you eat your meal ahead of time...then stay as far away from the food as you can!
  • You can go it alone and purchase your HCG drops anywhere online for cheap and try to do the diet, but I found since this was my first time, it was so much more helpful to do it through a program.  This was definitely more money invested in the beginning, but it helped start me off with the correct drops (by scanning to see what my sensitivities were), gave me an invaluable guide with all the info I needed, helps answer all my questions and continues to monitor and encourage me on my journey.  It doesn't matter where you live either - the program can help you whether you're local to them or live far away.2

1.This is confusing since everywhere else Phase 1 in the HCG Diet is usually referred to as the loading days when you’re trying to eat as much high-fat, high-calorie food.  So I guess you could consider this phase Phase 0

2. If you are interested in the program I'm going through, contact  Stacy, an affiliate with Pure, Simple Health.