Things You May Need Before Starting HCG Protocol

I'm starting my 2nd round next week, and thought it would be a good idea to list some things that you may want to have on hand when you start:

• Mineral Oil and Vaseline (body/hair products that won't absorb)
• Stevia-- You will need this natural sugar substitute to sweeten your tea, lemonade, and in some fruit recipes
• Bag of Lemons-- I don't know what I would have done without my fresh lemonade :)
• Sandwich bags or freezer bags.  I pre-portioned my proteins and threw in the freezer for convenience.
• Potassium Supplement -- prevents or stops muscle cramps
• Crushed tomatoes -- I used them in some recipes as my tomato portion
• Organic Chicken broth --not on protocol, but I used it sparingly in come recipes and to steam some of the veges
• Variety of teas-- this protocol diet can get boring, so variety in whatever we can have is welcomed!S
• Scale and measuring tape. Track that progress!

Can't think of anything else right now, but if I think of something else, I'll add it. 

P3, P4, Ready to start Round 2!

Hey Ya'll! In my MC HCG Sis Rapper Voice:

Its been a long time, long time, I shouldn't have left you, left you...without some dope blog entries to chill to, chill to....wiki wiki wiki...

Ok, so I'm no rapper, but I do apologize for my absence.  But as the saying goes, no news is good news!

I've maintained my weight of 168, going up slightly during TOM, and coming back down with no problem. I've eaten whatever I wanted (pizza, pie, ice cream, etc), just not a ridiculous amount.  I've been tickled to death with the results. I'm starting Round 2 in a week, so I'll be back on for my daily blogs, God-Willing!

Talk to you soon :)

P3, days 1-3; +3 lbs over LDW, but TOM is in the house....

Salaam and Good Morning All!

Well, after my last vlcd day on hcg, I did the three vlcd days for letting it leave my system, then moved onto P3.  P3 is the three weeks where one avoids sugars and starches, but eats everything else (fats, any protein, veges, and fruits that aren't too starchy). This is the part of the protocol where the current weight becomes stabilized.  

I find myself missing P2, but boy am I lovin' me some P3!  I mean, I'm eating cashews and almonds like they're going out of style.  My first meal was a 2 egg omelet with green peppers, onions, marbled cheddar cheese, and some homemade beef sausage. Eating it was like stepping into a warm jasmine and vanilla bubble bath--it felt GOOOD! LOL!  I've eaten turkey chili with sour cream, chicken salad on lettuce, crispy baked chicken and kale (I made cauliflower faux mashed potatoes, but didn't like the texture.  I would rather have eaten the cauliflower by itself with some seasonings and a hint of butter), and fried chicken dipped in an eggwash (didn't miss the flour batter).  I've also made that stevia sweetened creamy hot chocolate, which was amazing! I'm not craving carbs much, but I'm looking forward to a bowl of cereal, and maybe a biscuit at dinner.  

If you recall, my LDW (last dosage weight) was 165.  We should not exceed 2 lbs over that LDW.  If we do, we must do a correction day (basically eating protein), and the weight should go back down to our LDW.  Well, TOM paid me a visit on my first P3 day (Wendesday), and its still here, of course.  I got on the scale this morning and was 168 lbs! But, I've done my homework, and I'm not alarmed, folks.  It seems many woman gain during TOM, and a correction day isn't warranted until TOM leaves and we don't see the weight go back down.  I definitely feel bloated. So, I'm eating reasonably (I think I may lay off the salted cashews though, I tell you--they're addictive!), and I'm just going to see where I am when TOM leaves before I do a correction.

I have posted some after pics, including changing that blog pic to the right.  My girlfriend, who is also embarking on her own hcg journey, is a professional photographer, so maybe I'll get a better pic soon (after round 2 maybe?). But wow, I am so glad to SEE the difference! God is Great, Indeed! And I am ever grateful!

TTYL

VLCD #37, My Last Day on Hcg for this round

Well, Friday December 24th wound up being my last day on Hcg, because I ran out a day short.  So, after doing some research, the weight you claim as your LDW (Last Dosage Weight) is what you weigh the morning of the day you take your last doses.  So that would put my LDW at 165 lbs.

That's a total weight loss for Round 1 of my Hcg Protocol 23 lbs!  I am totally happy with that :)

While I had ambitiously hoped to lose 30 lbs this round, I am just so happy I lost that much.  Oh, and I also lost about 15-20 inches off of my body (I didn't measure myself until after week 1). I just feel soooo much better looking in the mirror, or trying on clothes.  While I'm happy to move into P3, eating whatever I want minus the sugars and starches, I find myself looking forward to my next P2 round, when I can release more lbs! But for now, I'm going to focus on maintaining my weight.  P3 is very critical for finalizing and stabilizing the set-point of the metabolism (so my body will want to stay at 165 lbs as opposed to shooting back up to 188 lbs or higher).

TTYL

VLCD #36 Another Milestone!

Glory be to God! Great Mornin' to ya!

Yesterday I attended Jumuah (prayer service), and it was one of my first public appearances since losing over 20 lbs.  I ran into a girlfriend who immediately noticed my face was smaller.  She was like, "Wow, girl, you look good, look at your face!" LOL.  Together, we went to visit another friend, and later she told me she was surprised to see my face looking so healthy and vibrant.  She had known others to lose weight fast, and their face actually looked a bit gaunt and aged, sometimes with darkness under the eyes.  Masha'Allah, I was like that's the Hcg, honey!  And my other girlfriend's reaction? As soon as I hit the door, even with my coat on, she was like, "OH....MY.....GOSH!!"  She kept on looking at me in disbelief.  A beautiful day, I tell ya.

Now onto my results for yesterday:

I lost another lb, bringing me to an even 165 lbs! That is my official Driver's license weight!! Now, I only have today and tomorrow left for my hcg VLCD days, followed by 2-3 more VLCD days without hcg as the hormone is leaving my system.  Then its time for some good eatin', and I can't wait! TOM is on its way (was fighting some serious cravings so getting out of the house helped distract me), so I'll be glad to add some more foods in, and have some stevia hot chocolate with half n half cream! Ooooh, and that natural sugar free ice cream I told you all about (Clemmy's from Harris Teeter).  I made that hot chocolate for my sister yesterday (who is on P3), and I did take a lil' taste--it was a creamy pleasure!

Now, today may wind up being my last day with hcg, because it seems I'm a bit short (if you go slightly above that .5 cc mark, it adds up over the days, so next time I may add an extra cc of B12 to account for human error in dosing).  My sister had a tiny bit left over, so I'll see if its enough for me to do my last hcg day tomorrow.  I wanted to try and lose another lb or two, to give me that 2 lb wiggle room to go up to 165 lbs instead of 167 lbs (if 165 winds up being my last dosage weight).  Another part of me is like, "you know what?? Yes, I'm done!!" LOL.  I'll keep you posted.

Once again, I cannot WAIT to show you guys my after pic...just another day or so, God Willing  :-)

TTYL

VLCD #33-35

Here's the latest update:

On VLCD 33 I stayed 167.
On VLCD 34 I lost a pound, bringing me to 166!
On VLCD 35 I stayed the same, still 166. I wonder if the coconut oil I used to moisturize after showering played  a part in no loss.

I have 3 more days left, including today.

If you don't like the HCG diet, don't do it!!!

*Sigh*

I saw a yahoo article naming the HCG diet as one of the crazy fad diets of 2010. Never mind that it's been out around since the 50's.  I chuckled to myself.  The expert commented on the 500 calories, not surprisingly.  I've researched this protocol up down and sideways, and I'm prepared for comments like those--after all, I made them myself at one time.

Then I saw a fb (facebook) friend post that she was on day 4--I was excited to welcome her into the hcg family.  Another mutual fb friend of ours made a status saying something like, "why are people doing crazy diets that but their bodies into starvation mode, and just don't put in the work to lose weight normally"

Okay, so while I don't know that status was referring to the hcg diet, I will say its the most misunderstood plan out there.  The only believers seem to be those who do extensive research, or who just try it for themselves. People are so quick to judge without knowledge--but in any situation that is nothing new.  I cannot reiterate enough that this is not a diet, but a cure for our ailing metabolisms! Most overweight folks I know have occasional indulgences, but don't binge on loads of calories.  Its frustrating to work out everyday for a month, cut out junk food, reduce calories, and see you've only lost 4 lbs, that come right back after ONE day of eating normally and having that slice of cake. Something else is going on, and Dr. Simeons gave us the answer.  Believe me, if I was hungry on this protocol, I would have to stop, because I don't have the will power to starve myself.  I use to joke that I couldn't be an anorexic if I wanted to because I just can't deal with hunger, unless I'm doing a religious fast.  And I'm telling you, I've gone from 4:30 in the morning until 8:00-9:00 at night without a morsel of food or a drop of water while on a religious fast, and I know how starving yourself for a day feels.  I'm usually tired, sluggish, weak and moody. I have not had any of those symptoms while on the hcg protocol. I am not starving, my body is not only feeding off of the 500 calories I've eaten, but off of the 2000+ calories I've released in abnormal fat.

Now, the will power I have had to exert is to avoid sugar and starches.  But knowing this is a temporary medical protocol to improve my metabolism and restore a quality of life I've been missing for so many years is worth it.

And yes, we are going to need to change our ways of eating.  This is not a magic pill that we swallow and bam, we can eat like crazy people! We need to cut out some of the sugar (if we were eating too much), and definitely cut out the foods with artificial ingredients (preservatives, additives, dyes) and meats that are fed unhealthy feed. We should rely on homemade food more than going to fast food places that put who knows what in the food to keep you craving it and buying more.  But we should not have to deprive ourselves, or eat fake this,or  lowfat and low sugar that--in order to keep our weight in check. Healthy fats are good for us.  And I can't wait for this part of the protocol to be over so I can get to them, lol.

So, uh, call me crazy for doing this protocol.  But when you see me, you can also call me "Slim."

TTYL