Long Time no Post

Just in case anyone is actually reading this, I wanted to post on how my Phase 3 and Phase 4 are doing. So far, GREAT! I have managed to stay within 2 pounds of my last does weight without doing a single steak day. I did go over a few times early in Phase 3, but just ate really clean for a day or 2 and only ate Phase 2 foods and the weight came right back off, overnight. I am just starting to add in sugar and starches and so far am holding steady. I still may gain or lose a pound or so overnight, but it bounces right back the next day, so no worries.
I am planning to do another round, in January and hopefully with one 40 day round, I can get to my goal weight. I am not expecting to lose as fast as I did on the first round, but know what to do and what to expect, so I am expecting to see my body shrink some more!
To anyone looking into homeopathic hcg, I am livinig proof that it works and does just as well as the Rx version. Do it, you will be amazed, just like I was.
I am so thankful to have found the answer to lasting weight loss, after all these years!

Started Phase 3

It has been a long time since I posted, but I am still going strong with hhcg. Finally people at work are starting to notice and I am feeling good in smaller clothing. I have lost about 40 pounds. I will figure out my exact numbers and post them this weekend. I had a bad computer virus that keep me from posting for over a week, but that is all cleaned up now.
Yesterday was my first day of Phase 3 and I way over indulged. I ate cheese, half & half, ranch dressing and pork rinds and my stomach is not liking it. I had major upset stomach last night, and still feel ill. I also had a 1.4 pound weight gain. Which does not make me happy. Today, I am going to revert back to my Phase 2 eating, without the melba and increase my portions on meat but no dairy or pork rinds, and see how I do. Hopefully my stomach will feel better as this food passes through. Lots of water for me today too! My only excuse is that I just wanted to eat all the things I am now allowed, that have been restricted for so long. But, I want to maintain this new weight and need to ease back into eating new things so that my body can adjust. It is a learning experience for sure.

Back on P2 after 9 day break

I am happy to report that I made it through 9 days of P3 and ended up at .2 above my LDW. I did have some gains, but since I had lost almost 2 pounds after stopping my drops, I had a little wiggle room. I didn't realize that I shouldn't have fruit on P3until Thursday, so that may have been an issue due to the sugar. I didn't enjoy the break as much as I had hoped, most because my stomach did not like the dairy and fat I was eating, so I didn't feel well. But, these last 2 days, I had felt much better, and the food was enjoyable. I am not really looking forward to being back on 500 calories, and the restricted food choices, but I am ready to lose more weight!
I will stay on P2 until the end of October, and then go into P3 and onto P4 until after the New Year. Then back on P2 to get to my goal weight... Yeah! hCG is such a blessing!

P3 HCG planned intteruption Day 7

I am ready to go back on my drops because I am not liking the interruption, as much as I thought I would. My stomach is having a really hard time accepting the fats and dairy that I am able to eat right now. When you do a normal P3 and not a planned interuption, you have time to slowly add back food. But since my break is only for 9 days, I am gaining each day, and not feeling well. Luckily I lost weight on the 2 days after stopping taking my drops, so today I am back to exactly what I weighed on my last dose day. I really don't want to get over that number, and would like to start losing again. P3 is just as important and tricky as P2, but at least I know what to expect when I go on it again in a few weeks. I am ready to start losing again, although I am not really ready for the limited food choices again, but that is what's great about hhCG, you just don't care about food so much. It becomes fule instead of stuffing for emotions. I will enjoy the next few days and indulge in some things that I will want when I am back on P2, but for the most part, I like the cream in my coffee just wish I could find a sweetner that wasn't so bitter. I am likeing the cheese and eggs too. I am not counting calories, or journaling, but can see why that will be so important in my real P3.

Fish

Taking a planned interruption

I took my last drops on Thursday, 10/01 and stayed on VLCD for 48 hours. I have enjoyed eating larger protions, and full fat dressing, butter, eggs and heavy cream. The problem I have is that my stomach is not liking all this fat, so last night, I went to Wal-Mart and purchased achidopolis pearls (sp?) they are helping my stomach, so hopefully I can enjoy the next few days of my break. I will go back on the drops on Monday, 10/12. I lost weight the first few days off the drops, and then yesterday gained 1 pound and today, .4, so I will have to keep a close watch on my calories to keep from gaining over 2 pounds from last dose day.

VLCD 40 and 28 pounds gone!

I am happy to report that as of this morning, I am down a total of 28 pounds in 40 days! That is incredible!!! There is no other diet I have ever been on or heard about that works like the hhCG! I was planning on extending my round until mid October, but am almost out of drops. I ordered a new bottle yesterday, but am not sure when they will arrive. The seller, on ebay, says 3-6 days... So, if I am out then I will take a planned interruption. My weight loss has slowed down each week, so my body is probably ready for a break anyway. I am really enjoying getting smaller day by day, but want to do this right, so the weight stays off... FOREVER!

Day 33 and still going

I have had a little bit of a plateu this week but broke through today, with a loss of 1 pound. So, I am .6 pounds below my lowest weight in ages! I think it was about 4 years ago when I was doing WW points system and working out an hour a day and starving! I would like to see a pound gone a day, like I did the first few weeks, but how in the world can I be disappointed? 25.4 pounds of fat GONE FOREVER! (I hope) I have decide not to take a break until mid October, and then do 3 weeks of Phase 3 then go into Phase 4 and probably stay there until after the New Year. If I keep losing at the rate of 1/2 pound per day, I should be down to about 160ish by then, so that will be a great weight to stabilize at and decide how much more I want to lose. HHCG ROCKS!

Break or not to Break

I was planning on stopping my drops as of last night, to take a week or so as a "planned interruption." However, I am waffling... If I stop, that will just mean it takes longer for me to reach my goal weight. Also, I am planning on hosting Thanksgiving Diner for my family this year, and want to be on phase 4 by that day. So, after much debate, and discussing with my husband, I have decided to continue with the drops until mid-to late, October. Then, I will do 3 weeks of phase 3 and go into my phase 4 a week or 2 before Thanksgiving.
Otherwise, I think I may be at a plateau. Yesterday, I reported a gain of .6 and today I am only down .2. I am not doing anything different, so I am not sure what is going on. I will continue as usual with the VLCD and add in some exercise this weekend to see if I can get the scale moving down ward again. As long as I feel well and my energy doesn't crash, I am hanging in there for the duration.

Hhcg VLCD 31 and gained .6

Yesterday was my companies summer outing. We had a pot luck picnic and I did not eat a single bite of anything, which was not easy. I ate an apple and some grilled chicken and my melba toast, on the way to the park. Since I had suffered from upset stomach the day before, I told anyone that asked, that my stomach was still upset and I didn't want to eat anything right then, but would later. This seemed to satisfy them, so I drank some splenda sweetened tea and lots of water. We played corn-hole, washers and ladder golf and had a really good time, although it was really hot and humid.
I am wondering if the gain was from the increase in exercise yesterday, and I have some water retention going on, or inflammation.
I also had some 90/10 ground beef for diner last night. It is a fattier cut than I have been eating, so maybe that was it.
I am trying not to freak out, and just see what tomorrow holds. I know I stuck to protocol, so I am confident that tomorrow will show this .6 gone, along with more poundage.

One more week on hhCG

Today I was down another .6 pounds and am well on my way to meeting my first goal, to reach 180. I am preparing to stop the drops on Wednesday, continue with VLCD until Saturday morning where I will go into Phase 3 eating for a week or so, to see how I do maintaining. I still have more weight to lose, but feel like my body needs a break from the VLCD. I am calling this a planned interruption, so I will not have to wait 6 weeks to go back onto my drops. I want to get all this weight off, this year, but want to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving (I'm Cooking) and Christmas without being on VLCD.
I felt good yesterday, but became overheated and threw up my apple. I still don't feel real well, and may go home from work early if I don't improve. I am not sure if it the diet, or just a stomach bug that I have picked up. Regardless, I feel like going back to bed and sleeping for the majority of the day... More later...

hCG skeptic no more!

Today is my 30th day on VLCD and I have lost a total of 23 pounds! That is amazing. That is an average of .76 pounds per day! My daily losses have slowed some, these last few weeks, but I am still losing everyday and that is more than I can say about any other diet I have ever been on. I could exercise for an hour a day, eat 1200 calories, starve and have cravings and be lucky to lose a pound a week! This diet isn't easy, but I can do it for the time it takes because the results keep you focused. Getting on the scale every morning and seeing a smaller number than the day before is incredible motivation!
Anyone that is reading this, and is thinking about trying this diet, I say you won't be disappointed, but you have to be INTENTIONAL! You can not cheat, even a little, or you will set yourself back several days. It is worth the sacrifices, because you know that in the future you will regain your health and be able to eat whatever you want and not gain.
I have compiled some information for anyone that would like to do more research:
Step 1) Read Dr. Simeons Manuscript
Step 2) re-read the manuscript
I have been taking my drops and following it for 30 days and have lost, 23 pounds!! I know it is incredible. My best suggestion is to do a web search under "hcg diet." You will find a lot of information both positive and negative, but in my experience, it is all positive. The drops have taken away 90% of my hunger and I have NO cravings. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it really is working and if you take the time to come off of it the right way, you will eventually be able to eat like a normal person and not gain weight. I have been keeping a blog, that tells my daily journey, you can read it here:
http://letstryhcg.blogspot.com/
One thing to keep in mind, is that I am using the homeopathic version of the hCG drops. There is a prescription version but it is much more expensive. There are also doctors and clinics that you can use but also very expensive. So, far I have about $60 invested in my first 20 pounds and have ordered 2 more bottles, which will cost about $40.00. I also bought a book on Amazon.com called the Guide to HCG. I ordered my drops from here:
http://shop.changesforlife.net
Please email me or call me if you have any other questions. I would be happy to share this experience with the world, but most people think you are crazy. I think the pharmaceutical companies and the diet industry don't want us to know about this, they would be out of gazillions of dollars a year.
Here is also a link for clinics in Ohio:
http://www.ohiohcgclinic.com
http://www.drjimsmith.com
Here are links to a very interesting message board, with comments from people actually on hcg and hhcg (homeopathic):
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/other-plans/635228-simeon-s-protocol-hcg-diet-september-thread.html
Good Luck!

23 VLCDs, and 20.2 pounds GONE!

Just wanted to post another update... I am cruising right along. Yesterday I was hungry, most of the day, may have been because I was using the last of my bottle of drops. Today I started on a bottle of the Mediral brand and hunger is better. I was hoping for a big loss, since I was so hungry and .8 today, so maybe my body just decided to let some stubborn fat go. I lost a pound, the day before, so all is good with the homeopathic hCG.

Day 21 VLCD

A little disappointed today, with only a .2 loss. I haven't really done anything different, so I am hoping for a big loss tomorrow. It is harder to drink all my water on the weekends, since my routine varies. But, I have been on other diets where I only lost .2 in a week of exercise, hunger and feelings on deprivation, so I chose to be happy with my .2 and look forward to seeing a new number on the scale tomorrow!
My total for 21 days is 18.4 pounds! That is amazing, and my BMI is in the overweight range, instead of obesity. WHooooHooo!

VLCD, day 19

I lost another .4 today, so my total for 19 VLCD, days is 17.6 pounds! Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. I seem to have slowed down with my loss, to about 1/2 a pounds day, but what other way can you lose 3-4 pounds a week, WITHOUT HUNGER OR CRAVINGS??? I have been on every diet known to mankind, and this will be it for me. I will turn to hhcg anytime I need to lose.
I have ordered 2 more bottles of drops, so I can continue with this round, without stopping. I would like to do at least 40 days and see where I am.
I really had a yummy supper tonight:
3.5 grams chicken, (I had cooked and frozen), diced.
2 hands full of finely shredded cabbage
1 cup organic, free-range, FF and Sugar Free chicken broth
1 cup water
cayenne pepper, cumin, dehydrated onion flakes, chili powder and salt and black pepper to taste
Mix all together in a sauce pan.
Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
This was my favorite meal so far and very filling. I am not a big fan of cooked cabbage, and this cabbage almost tasted like noodles!
If I don't have gain from the "store bought" broth, I will be eating this several times a week,and even making regular chicken soup, without the chili spices.
So, good luck to anyone that is starting homeopathic hCG. If you are intentions, and do not cheat, you will be so happy that you took this step to change you life.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

The weight is still dropping...

I just wanted to post an update, that I am still losing weight at a remarkable level. Today was .6 loss, that is over half a pound! It is kind of funny, because I am wanting to see another 2 pound, or 1.8 pound loss, but really there is no reason what so ever to be discouraged in loseing a 1/2 a pound in a day. THis protocol is truley amazing. I was going to end my first round, after 23 days, but have decided to continue on until my drops run out. That should get me to around 180. It has been years since I have seen that weight! I am also going to order more drops today, and I may take a short (few days) break, then continue on to do a complete 40 days. It is so fun to see my size changing so fast, it really is hard to believe, but it is working and I am loving the results.
Don't get me wrong, it is not easy, and you have to be commited to not eating one morsal of food that is not in your plan, but the results are so worth it! Not having to deal with cravings is a huge help as well as no hunger, or at least, very little hunger. I wish I had more energy and felt the euphoria some people report, but overall, I feel good. I can carry on my daily job and family obligations and stay on plan.
My next big test, will be to see if the weight stays off, I so hope so and will keep posting so I can share my results with anyone that cares. Happy Friday, and have a blessed day!

Too much salt...

I only had a .4 loss, yesterday, which is still really good, almost a 1/2 a pound in a day... I was hoping for a bigger number, but that is okay. I had a steak salad last night and I put way too much salt on it, I only ate half of the salad, but all of the meat. So, there may be some water retention going on. I also forgot to take my drops before bed last night. Was feeling very weak this morning, but pushed through and only had water and tea, until 11:00 when I had my daily apple. I am fortunate, that I can eat almost everything we are allowed without a stall. I just pray that my weight will keep dropping until my drops run out. I want to lose as much as I can this round.
I am starting to look forward to Phase 3, but am also apprehensive. It is easy to stay on VLCD with my drops, but what happens when the drops are finished. That is all part of my testing, to see if I can maintain, so we will see.

16 days = 16 pounds!

It is so hard for me to believe this weight loss is happening. It is going so quickly, and I am now starting to think about phase 3, which is the transition into maintenance. I have stuck to the protocol 100% and my results are testimony to the fact that yes, homeopathic hCG does work!!! Besides the rapid weight loss, I am also in awe of the fact that I have virtually no cravings. Sure, I might see something and think, oh that sounds good, but I am not fixated on any food. My husband and I went through the drive through at Dairy Queen and he got a giant burger and onion rings, I had a bowl of my protocol chili and it didn't bother me at all. That is something that is always a problem when I have been on other diets. The cravings and feeling of deprivation were enough to drive me crazy, and inevitable, I would cheat... and then give up. So, if you are thinking of trying this, that is a very pleasant side effect of the drops.
I have also reached a milestone today, my BMI have gone from obese to overweight. That is major, because it means am less likely to develop weight related diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure and cholesterol. Yeah me!

Day 14 VLCD

I am moving right along with the weight loss. Yesterday I had a 1.8 pound loss! Amazing! Today was only .2, but I am seeing a trend that I will lose big every few days and then small. I think my body has to catch up with the big losses. My clothes are getting baggy and I getting into things that were just too tight to wear 2 weeks ago.
This is not an easy way to lose, but it is worth the sacrifice. My biggest complaint is that I just don't have energy or stamina like I use to. Although, some people report increased energy. I am not sure if that is an individual thing, or if it is because I am using the homeopathic version. My energy is steady until just before time to eat, it seems that my body runs out of fule. The lessons I am learning should make a difference when I go off the drops and eat to maintain. I am hoping to lose 20 pounds, and I am at 14.4 right now, so that should be obtainable.
I had grape juice at communion this morning and ordered an "diet" ice tea from Arby's that might not have been diet. I only had 3 drinks, so hopefully it will not creat a gain, or a stall.
Be intentional and stay the course. This works and it works fast!

This stuff works!

I had a day full of temptations yesterday, but held strong and my reward was a 2 pound loss this morning! Yep, that's not a typo, I lost 2 whole wonderful glorious pounds yesterday! It is really incrediable. I am amazed at how this protocal works, if you do what Dr. S said in Pounds and Inches and stay away from anything that is not on the approved foods list. I was a skeptic, but now I am a Believer!
Yesterday at work was a real food challenge. We had a publisher come in and provide a catered breakfast: biscuits, gravey, fruit, cookies, etc... I left it alone and drank my tea. Wouldn't have been so bad except for everyone in the office commenting about how good it was. Then, we had a baby shower for one of our co-workers at 3:30 and it was all about desserts and cake. I was able to hold strong again, and drank a big bottle of water. THe worst part about that was I sat right across the table from the cake and actually ended up cutting it and serving everyone. Ohhh the smell of butter cream frosting... I was actually wondering if I would gain or stall just from smelling it. But, nope! Lost 2 pounds! Then, for diner, my mom and I went to Bob Evans. I orderd grilled chicken and 2 salads without dressing. Let me tell you, the waitress thought I was a nut job. I ordered my chicken grilled with no oils but it was shiney when it arrived, I think i embarresed my mom when I used my napkin to sop of the grease from both sides of the chicken. I at just over half of it and one of the salads and my mom took my leftovers home for her to eat today. LOL.
Yesterday's Food:
Apple
Steak meat on romaine lettuce with ACV dressing
Melba
Bob Evan's grilled chicken breast (1/2) with grease sponged off and garden salad with lemmon juice for dressing
Strawberry delight- 4 frozen strawberries in blender with water, vanilla cream stevia and cinammon spice. YUMMY!
I also had a ACV coctail in the morning, so not sure if that made a difference or if it was just time for the weight to come off, since I had not had a large loss lately.
I was very forgetful and foggy headed again yesterday. This is very troubling but I am wondering if maybe it is because I have stopped taking my HRT medication. I know that low estrogen levels will make you fuzzy. I am going to give it a few more days, and see if it gets better on it's own. If not, I will go back on them and see it that is the reason.
If you are thinking about trying homeopathic hCG, research and read everything you can about it. But, know that if you follow the protocal it works!

Down .6 today!

That makes my total 10.4 pounds in 9 days! This is really exciting. The thing I noticed today, was how much better my clothes are fitting and how much better I feel about myself. I know others have lost faster than me, but you can not complain about a pound a day and that is exactly what Dr. S promised. It is a blessing to be losing the weight so fast and consistently. I have to say that the homeopathic hCG works and I am not getting paid, or selling it. Just doing my own personal test. I know I felt safer ordering something I am going to ingest, from the US. I am also happy that I have drops instead of an injection.
I am hoping to lose 20 pounds in a 23 day round, so I am on track so far. If I have drops left, I may keep on going as long as the drops last. I will play it by ear and see how I am handeling the food limitations, physically and emotionall. Really, I have not had any strong cravings. I have had hunger, and still do off and on. But, as for cravings, no. I do want to eat, and when i see a commercial or there is food at work, I am more likely to want to eat it, but it is not a craving like I have experinced with other restrictive diets.
So, as I head into VLCD 10, I am very pleased with hhcg and look forward to losing more weight in the days to come.

Down another .4 pounds

My running total, for 8 Days on VLCD is 9.8 pounds! That is impressive and I am really happy with this protocol. It is not easy and if you are trying to decide if it is right for you, just remeber that you must be 100% commited to following Dr. S's protocal. It doesn't always make sense, why you can't eat certain things, or mix veggies, but trust in Dr. S's research and you will do well.
I am hoping for a 20 pound weight loss on a 23 day round, and feel confident that it will happen. I would love for the loss to be larger, but will be happy with 20. I will have to do more rounds, to get where I want to be, but will just see how the maintence period goes, during the holiday months.
My food yesterday:
apple
grilled chicken breast
Melba
grilled shrimp
iceburg lettuce salad with AVC and Bragg's Amino's + spices, dressing
Melba
I left out one fruit and had lots of tea and water.

I had a rough day yesterday, feeling foggy headed. Thankfully, it has passed and I feel really good today. I must have been detoxing, and had to push through it. I have also noticed my middle back area hurting some. I took 2 tylenol, this morning, so hopefully that won't hurt my progress.
I did a 1 mile "Walk Away The Pounds" DVD walk this morning.
I am excited about this weight loss happening so fast. On other diets, it woudl take me over a month to lose 10 pounds, and I have come close to that in 8 days. AMAZING!
I will say it again, it isn't easy and unlike other diets, you can't cheat and have a bite of something and then just exercise longer, or cut back on another meal, to make up for it. So you have to be intenetional. But, so far, I feel it is worth the sacrifices. There will be other trips to resturants, and other meals that will be yummy. I am changing my habits and my mindset and that is a big part of keeping the weight off for good.

No loss today!

I am sad to say that my weight was the same today as it was yesterday morning. I realize that I had a huge (2.6 pound) loss yesterday and that this may be my body playing catch-up. I am not sure. The weekend was busy and yesterday we put a bushel of sweet corn in the freezer. I was going fine for a while, but wham-o I hit a wall and had to stop and eat diner and rest. I was drained and weak and felt really bad. THe feeling finally passed, but it took about 2 hours. I am not sure if I was just out of reserve enrgy or what, but it was not a good feeling.
I am still hungry off and on. It isn't constant, thankfully. I fill up on lots of different teas and water, either plain, or with stevia flavors. I am thinking that the hunger is from not loading correctly, so it should go away this week, if that is the case.
I am happy to have lost 9.4 pounds in 7 days, but it has not been easy, at all. I do want to report on some other positive things I have noticed, besides the weight loss.
My skin, which has always been acne prone, is clearing and is much, much less oily!
My eye wrinkles seem to be less noticable and I am not using any eye cream, like I have used for years.
My skin overall feels smoother.
I have stopped taking my HRT medicine and am NOT experiencing any symptoms. (Had complete hysterectomy, no ovaries, terriable menopause symptomes)
So, what I am finding, is that as well as the wonderfull weight loss, there is a lot more that is going on with my body while using hhcg. I figure that some of this is from how clean and healthy the food options are too.
Yesterday's Food:
apple
chicken, romaine lettuce, tomato
Melba
Flank Steak, tomato, mixed spring greens, spices
Truvia rootbeer drink
sparkling water
tea, tea and more tea and lots of water

Looking at this, I see that I probably should not have had 2 tomatoes yesterday. I wonder if that would be why I did not have a loss? Not sure, but will keep that in mind going forward.

OMG! 2.6 Pounds Yesterday! Praise God!

Wow! Wow! Wow! I am really not sure what to say, but when I weighed this morning, I was down another 2.6 pounds!!! Yeah! I am not saying that hhcg is easy, but I am saying that if you stick to it, and follow the protocol as written in Pounds and Inches, you will lose weight, and lose it fast.
I have been hungry, and sometimes exteremly hungry, but hot tea and water help push through until it is time to eat something. I am hoping the hunger dtarts fading this week because at times it is a real challenge.
Yesterday was my family Birthday Breakfast at Cracker Barrel... I had 3 grilled chicken strips and tea... yep, that was it. I sat at the end of the table and kind of piled things in front of my plate so the family couldn't see how little I was eating. I did order "warm apples" but they were actually what I call fried apples, and could not eat them. I pushed them around on the plate after I finished with my chicken (which I ate in tiny bites) and no one said anything.
I am not ready to share my hhcg experience with some people, just yet. THere is so much negativity about it, that I just want to keep this to myself as I see how it works for myself. If someone asks, then I will talk to them, but I am not offering information at this point.
Yesterday and Friday, I felt a little tired and weak at times, and I was wondering if I could stick with this, but I pushed through and now in 6 days, I am down over 9 pounds. Yep, that's right, over 9 pounds. On any "convential" diet and exercise program, it would take a month of deprivation, hunger, and serious exercising to lose this amount. So, what this program does, is incredible. The sacrifices I am making right now are worth it so far, I feel healthy, my skin is clearing and other than hunger and some crankieness (which you have on all diets) I feel good. I am actully less tired, than before hhcg. Weird, I know...
We went to Hubber's Orchard yesterday, me, Chris and my MIL, Nancy. So, there was some willpower taken there too... THe breads, UHHH!! I LOVE their breads! But, I ate my fresh picked Gala apple and enjoyed every bite of it! There will be more bread for me the next time we go and when I got on the scale this morning, it was totally worth it! YEah ME!

Down another .8 pounds

But, I am so---- hungry... I just hope the hunger fades soon, because I am not sure how long I can do this. I have figured out that I did not load correctly, so anyone reading this, that is thinking about doing a round of hCG, load- load- load! And don't just eat junk food, but BE INTENTIONAL, eat healthy fats and lots of them. Nuts, cheese, cream, olive oil, butter, eggs, etc..
My food for yesterday was:
apple
Melba
chicken breast
coleslaw
steak
romaine lettuce
orange
Melba
And did I mention that I am hungry? I am going to increase my drops to 15, 3 times today and see if that helps. I will also pick up some bubbly water to drink, since I have read it helps hunger.
But, I am losing weight and that is what I want, so I will try to remain strong.
Today we go to Cracker Barrel for a Birthday Breakfast for myself and my Father-in-law. I am worried about what I will be able to eat, so that makes me a little anxious. Wish me luck!

5th VLCD day, Friday Aug. 28, 2009

I only lost .2 when I weighed this morning, but I am happy with any loss and didn't expect to see a large number since I lost 1.8 pounds the previous day. I was a little less hungry yesterday, but the hunger is still there although it is tolerable. Yesterday's Food was:
1 tbs 2% milk
apple
cole slaw made with 1/4 head cabbage, ACV, Bragg's and spices
chicken
Melba
Orange Julius, made with 1 peeled orange, water, ice and vanilla cream stevia mixed in the blender. (Really was good)
lean steak, with all fat removed, cooked in pan with one diced tomato and garlic and spices, including cinnamon. (Hot, spicy, filling and yummy.)
Lots of tea and water
exercise on bike= 15 minuts, took walk in neighborhood before diner.

Hhcg, Activate!

Just found out that you are suppose to activate all homeopathic remedy's... To do this, you smack the bottle on the palm of your hand 10 times. Sure would be nice if something like that was included in the instructions.
Maybe that is why I have been so hungry, or could be because I didn't load properly.
Hunger has been better today. I didn't eat my apple until 11:30!

Willpower Pays Off!

Well, this morning I was down 1.8 pounds more!!! In one day!! Seriously!!! Can you believe it? I am feeling really happy that I didn't eat the cake yesterday. LOL. My food for the day was:
apple
cabbage cooked with Bragg's and ACV
Chicken on GF Grill
Melba
Protocol Friendly Chili made with lean ground beef, one onion, and one tomato with lots of spices
Melba
Tons of water and teas

I was hungry off and on, but I held my ground and made it through the day and was so happy this morning. I also had about 8 1/2 hours of sleep last night, so that may have been part of my success...

Willpower! Oh Yeah!

Today at work, we had our monthly Birthday celebrations, and since my birthday is in August, I am one of the people that decides what we will have. I chose Oreo Ice Cream Cake (Yeah, I know, Yum!)One of my coworkers actually made the cake herself and I was so worried about how I would handle this afternoon, without eating or hurting her feelings. So, I waited until people had been gathered for about 5 minutes before going into the kitchen, then I stood back and talked to someone else that was not eating, and when asked if I was going to eat some, I would say, sure, in a minute... So, I just kept hanging out and talking and eventually people finished eating and started heading back to their desks. Whew--- I just waited until most everyone had left the room, and then went back to my own desk without having any and ruining my diet!!! But, let me tell you... I sure did want some... ooooey... gooey... ice cream and chocolate...

A Skeptic trys homeopathic hCG

So, a few months ago I picked up a copy of "Natural Weight Loss Cures, They don't want you to know about" by Kevin Trudeau. I am a 44 year old female that has been on every diet know to mankind, and even attended weight watchers with my mom when I was 12... Anyway, I had heard of this book, years ago and blew it off because of the rumors that Trudeau was a nut job and the book only referred you to his website that cost money to join... so, I flipped through the book and went straight past the mumbo-jumbo and right to what the diet is. This is where I first heard of Dr. Simeon's Protocol and Pounds and Inches. I must say I was intrigued.
I was still a skeptic, but decided that maybe there was something to this and wouldn't it be awesome to be able to re-set your metabolism, so you could eat whatever you want and not gain weight.
I went straight to my favorite research tool and googled hCG diet. I found tons of information and spent the next 3 months researching the diet and reading anything I could find on the topic. I joined yahoo message boards, Low Carb Friends and Sparks People groups, to read what "real" people were saying about this protocol.
I eventually talked to my husband about this program and lets just say, he was not into me doing it. Normally, he is very supportive and encouraging about anything, diet or otherwise, that I want to do, but this was beyond wacko, in his opinion. Considering that the hCG is made from the urine of pregnant women, I understood his concern. he was also worried about me being on a 500 calorie a day diet. I too had some concerns and was skeptical, but had read so much about others dropping a pound a day on hcg (without hunger)that I wanted to try it myself.
I eventually came across people selling the homeopathic version of hcg, called hhcg and focused my research on that. Once again, I found that many were losing and astounding amount of weight, without hunger, sagging skin, or tons of exercise.
After about 3 months of research...
I decided to order the hhcg and commit to a 23 day round to see if this was as amazing as it sounded. I bought my drops from Donna at:
ChangesForLife & HCG Homeopathic Weight Loss Method at http://shop.changesforlife.net
I set a start date for Monday, Aug. 24th, 2009.
I shopped for all the food I would need (lean meat, chicken breast, Melba toast, apples, salad, AC vinegar, etc...) and weighed and cooked all my meat, on my George Foreman grill.
2 days before you start the VLCD (very low calorie diet), you must load by stuffing yourself fill all the fatty foods you can for 2 days. This sounds like fun until you do it, and then you just end up feeling, sick and bloated and ready to go to 500 calories.
I planned on telling my husband that I was doing this diet, over the weekend, before I started, but he worked a lot and then his back was hurting, and I just couldn't seem to find the "right" time. So, I sent him an email on Monday morning, telling him what I was doing, giving him the explanation of the homeopathic version and asking him for his blessing, which I received.
So, on Monday, I hungry..... very hungry... according to the research I have done, this is normal and is usually the result of not "loading" enough...
What I ate:
apple
chili made with 3.5 oz lean ground beef, 1 onion, garlic, 1 tomato and spices, 1 Melba toast
salad made with bagged salad, 3.5 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast with dressing of AC Vinegar, spices and Bragg's Amino Acids and spices, 1 Melba toast
lots of coffee, tea, & water.
The next morning when I weighed... I had lost 3.6 pounds!!! In one day!!! In 24 hours!!! Trust me when I say, that helps a lot when dealing with hunger pains...
So, then comes Day2, here is what I ate:
Apple
Baby Spinach with dressing as listed above and 3.5 oz. lean steak
1 Melba toast
1/4 grapefruit (yuck, could not do it)
1/4 head of cabbage shredded and pan cooked with ACV and Bragg's and spices, with 1 small tomato and 3.5 oz. lean ground beef. (Very Filling For a While)
1 Melba toast
coffee, tea and water
So I get up the next morning and jump on the scale to see a .4 weight loss. Now, this was disappointing after the 3.6 the day before, but when you put it into perspective, it really is great. .4 is almost a 1/2 a pound and I have been on other restrictive diets where I was hungry and only lost .4 for a whole 7 days of dieting, so looking at it like that, I am happy with the point 4 loss.
So, that's all for now, I will start posting daily to keep up with my progress, I just hope this hunger goes away soon...