Day 8 VLCD (177.8)

   Well I expected a gain, so I'm not TOO disappointed, but it still stings! Saturday night I had a big daiquiri at a friends house and that is what did all the damage. That's WAY too much sugar! I'm trying not to kick myself too hard because I don't want to get discouraged and give up, especially since my hunger is almost non-existent at this point, and my energy level is higher than its been in a year at least!

   Yesterday I did the chicken day, but had 2 servings of chicken in the afternoon instead of just one. Today I have shrimp and chicken on the menu, not sure what veggies since I have to go into town and stock up again! I'm thinking some spiced apples for snacks. Hopefully tomorrow I will see the scale start to move down again!

Day 7 VLCD (NOT weighing!)

   I cheated BIG time last night... it was not good. I think I just undid a weeks worth of hard work. *Sigh* My plan is to do a mock steak day today with chicken since I'm out of steak. I wont eat anything today, just drink a LOT of green tea since my body is carrying so much excess water. Then tonight after my 2nd dose I will eat a serving of chicken and a tomato, and that's it. Tomorrow I will see how much damage I really did and hopefully wont be kicking myself really hard. I can tell such a difference in just one big cheat. I feel bloated, 2 times bigger, sluggish, my energy is down. It was NOT worth it! Ill check in tomorrow, hopefully feeling a little better!

Day 6 VLCD (176)

  Another 1.4lb loss! The scale sure is motivating when it keeps giving me numbers like this! My energy and motivation is still up, even though Aunt Flow is in town and she is PISSED! Dr Simeon's book Pounds and Inches recommends that a menstruating woman go off her dose of hcg for at least 4 days. I asked for advice in my support group and most of the women there said that they did not go off the hcg and did fine, so I'm trying it also. I did lower my dose a little and it seems to be working. No hunger except for late at night, and I kick that with some sleepy time tea (which I am addicted to now!).

   Going on this diet I was really worried that I would feel "up" during it, since it is such a low calorie menu. But I have to say, I feel better than I have in a long time. I don't know if its because I am eating a lot healthier, or because there aren't many toxins left in my body, or if its the euphoric feeling described by a lot of people on HCG. I don't know, and I really don't care. This diet isn't easy, but there are a lot of up sides to it. Its getting easier by the day.

   My new favorite food for the moment is baked apples. I chop up my apple into bite size pieces, juice half a lemon over it, sprinkle some Splenda and cinnamon on them, and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. They are actually in the oven as I type this and they smell AMAZING! I had steak last night, marinated in soy sauce and roasted garlic, which was so so good. To be honest, for the past few days my calories have been more around the 600-650 range. I have been having more protein for dinner to help with late night hunger. I'm still seeing losses and it helps, so I'm going to keep it up until something changes. There are some studies that say as long as you stay under 800 calories you will still have the same results. The 650 is comfortable for me, but something to consider if you are thinking of trying the diet yourself!

Day 5 VLCD (177.4)

   Another pound lost, even though I cheated last night... I had twice as much protein as I was supposed to have and even topped it off with a few bites of ice cream! I'm having some "woman" symptoms, and that always makes me extra hungry. Today I am bound and determined to have a no cheat day though.

   My mood is better today. I have a feeling that a lot of my moodiness yesterday was actually PMS symptoms that were triggered by insensitive people! (Letting it go, letting it go...).

   I'm not hungry this morning, which is a nice change. It seems like in the mornings when I wake up, I'm not hungry, but as soon as I get moving around then I am. Other people who have been on the hcg diet have said that the first week is the hardest, and top that with PMS, it hasn't been as easy as I would have hoped. BUT I'm sticking through it. Every time I think about throwing in the towel, I just think to myself "How nice would it be to actually get down to my goal weight, to look good in that skirt that has been stuck in the bottom drawer of the dresser, to be able to go shopping and get the clothes that I want - not the clothes that I HAVE to get because they fit!?". That motivates me, along with the scale that continues to decline in numbers.

   Oh yeah... today I WEIGH LESS THAN MY HUSBAND!!!!! This is the first time I have EVER weighed less than him since I met him (10 years ago!). He is a little bitter about this little fact, I can tell. But not because he doesn't want me happy or to weigh less than him, hes just feeling a little "heavy", which is absolutely ridiculous. Hes sexier than ever! (Another subject, another day).

   My menu today will consist of chicken, asparagus, steak, and broccoli, with apples and oranges for snacks. I also am finding that hot tea with a little splenda (I ran out of stevia) really helps with cravings and psychological hunger. That's all for today!!

Day 4 (178.4)

   Another .8lbs gone! I am having to force myself to stay motivated today. I have had so much criticism about being on this diet, about how its "crazy", how I "should find something else", how I will just gain the weight back, or how I should try the diet that worked for them. I'm so SICK of it. And the hypocritical thing is, is that in the end, they will want to know all about how I did it and where they can get info to start it themselves, seeing MY success. Is it unconventional? Yeah, it definitely is. Will people understand it just hearing the "basics"? In my experience, no. Its crazy how people can have so much faith and spend hundreds of dollars on diets that celebrities endorse, or take pills that doctors prescribe (putting THEM into starvation by appetite suppression I might add), and cant be more open minded. Whatever. I hope I make them eat their words (and everything else).

   I ordered my bacteriostatic water yesterday. That is what I will be using to mix my other vial of HCG. Its a sterile water that acts as a preservative also, so no alcohol involved. "They" say that it kind of tastes funny, so I considered ordering the Stevia glycerin to mix with it, but if I can deal with a strong vodka taste, then I think I can deal with this.

   I have got to find some new recipes that I like. Since the first day I haven't really hit one that I'm crazy about, and that will be a BIG factor in me not cheating. I have had SO many temptations, but I have pulled through thus far. I have also had quite a bit of stress this past week, which doesn't help because I am definitely a stress eater! Well, actually I'm a stress cooker. I always like to bake something extravagant or cook something exotic to get my mind off of things. But doing that means a lot of tasting, that I just cant afford right now.

  On a brighter note, my energy is SKY HIGH! I heard that a lot of people had more energy on this diet due to the extra calories your body is burning, but dang! I feel like Ive drank a pot of coffee (but still cant manage to get laundry done. Go figure.).

  My menu today is kind of unknown at this point. I'm thinking rotisserie chicken breasts and asparagus for lunch, and maybe steak and broccoli for dinner with apples and cinnamon for snacks and breakfast.

Day 3 VLCD (179.2)

   Down another lb! Yesterday I was pretty hungry all day... Well not really "hungry", but my mouth was watering over the most simple foods that I could not have! It helps that I can cook pretty good, because even with the fewest ingredients, food still tastes great.

   I didn't realize how much of a "snacker" I was. I will catch myself about to take a bite here, and nibble a little bit there, all day long! Especially when I'm cooking for the rest of the family. I ALWAYS taste the food before serving it to make sure it doesn't need anything, and now, I cant do that! No big disasters thus far.

   I picked up some sugar free jello today hoping that will curve my appetite during the really hard moments, like where my husband is on the couch next to me eating ice cream right out of the half gallon container (grrr). I'm also going to order some of those "miracle noodles", the ones that are pure fiber and are calorie free. And some Braggs liquid amino which is supposed to taste exactly like soy sauce. Those two will help, I miss carbs! I have also started having a Diet Dr Pepper in the afternoon. That helps SO much! I didn't even realize it was dinner time yesterday because I wasn't craving food after the DDP.

   Today my menu will look something like this; apple w/ Stevia and cinnamon for early snack, veal with asparagus for lunch, Melba toasts and DDP for afternoon snack, crab and tomato over romaine for dinner, and grapefruit for late snack! Having it planned and spread out like this seems to really help because I don't have to constantly think about food all day long. I can concentrate on other things, like cleaning this pig sty of a house!!

Day 2 VLCD 180.2!

   Yeah you read that right!!! Yesterday I was 185.9 and this morning I'm at 180.2!! 5.7 lbs in a day! Sure, most of it was water weight, but still, I didn't feel bloated, and actually FELT thinner this morning getting dressed! That is definitely enough motivation to keep me going, no matter how many skeptics (and I have had them!) get in my way and try to bring me down.

   I went to the grocery store to stock up on fruits and veggies today. I'm going to try out some new recipes and Ill post them if they are any good. This morning I had a big bowl of strawberries for breakfast. Ill probably have chicken or veal for lunch with broccoli, and maybe crab over some romaine tonight for dinner!

Veal Steak and Onions Recipe

I made this tonight and thought I would share my success! Its so good!

Ingredients
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of veal steak, about 1 inch thick
1 lemon
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp or less of salt
1 onion, sliced

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a cast iron (or other oven safe skillet) medium high heat for a couple of minutes. You want this hot enough to hear a hiss when the veal touches it.

Season your veal with your garlic powder, salt and pepper (both sides).

Squeeze half of lemon into hot skillet. Place seasoned veal in lemon juice. Let cook for a couple minutes until the bottom is nicely browned and seared. Flip over and place onions around veal. Cook for a couple more minutes and then place in oven for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how you like your veal cooked.

Remove veal and put on a flat surface or plate, continue to let the onions cook either in the oven or on stove top. Once they have caramelized top the veal with the onions.

Squeeze other half of lemon over everything!

Measurements Day 1 VLCD

The only thing that motivates me to post these publicly is 30 & 60 days from now when I can update :)

Neck- 13.4 inches

Biceps- 12.5 inches

Biceps flexed- 13 inches (almost as big as my neck??!)

Chest (with lightly padded bra on)- 39 inches

Waist @ belly button- 36.5 inches

2 inches below belly button (love handles)- 42 inches

Hips- 43 inches

Thighs (left & right measured the same)- 26.5 inches

The places that I hope to have the most success are my love handles, my hips and my thighs. Everything else is gravy!

Day 1 VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) 185.9

   Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I was not in the typing mood! All went well, I had a successful day of loading. The proteins and healthy fats really did help me to not feel queasy and *as* bloated. I snuck in some of my favorite foods too, but in moderation.

   This morning I weighed in at 185.9. I gained most of this from the first loading experience I believe, so it wasn't too bad this time around. I hope to have it gone within the week!

   I didn't wake up hungry, took my hcg drops first thing in the morning and they dissolved almost immediately. I'm not eating breakfast, just having coffee and maybe some apple spice tea in a couple hours. I will most likely eat an apple mid morning, then have chicken and broccoli for lunch. Then an apple and Melba toast mid afternoon and veal and an unknown vegetable for dinner. Ill have to double check my meal plan but I believe this will be it for today! I need to get a scale to weigh my proteins before I cook them. I believe its 100 grams per serving, pre cooked.

  I was nervous about this part of the diet yesterday. I didn't know if I should do another loading day since I only really had 1.5 days on hcg while loading, but lets face it, Ive been loading for about 2 weeks in reality! I'm sure my fat stores are well up! This morning I'm excited to start to see some progress. Ill check in tomorrow!

Day 1, (Mixed and Half Day Loading)

   Well, I finally got around to getting all of my supplies and mixing my hcg. I took my first dose about 30 minutes ago and will begin loading shortly (which is good because I'm starving!). Like I mentioned before in an earlier post, I will be concentrating mainly on proteins this time around (during loading days) and not so much on greasy foods which made me feel like crap. I didn't weigh myself this morning but will start posting my weight tomorrow and each day that follows!

   My menu today has consisted of McDonald's Big Mac meal for breakfast/lunch (I was on the road, sue me), and later on this afternoon I will be making a huge rib-eye steak with hash brown casserole, along with slices of avocado. I think I will be snacking on something before then, but I'm not sure what. Ive seen several resources stating that some good fatty foods to concentrate during the first couple of days is things like olive oil, almonds, salmon, and avocado. I really hope I do these loading days right. "They" say that is the key to fight off hunger the first (and hardest) week while on this diet.

Preparation

EDITING AFTER THE FACT...
I just read in one of my HCG support groups that alcohol should NOT be used to mix with your hcg because it breaks down the proteins too fast. Whoops! Well, I have an extra vial thank goodness so I will be mixing that in about a week or so. Or I might just "man up" and start taking injections. I will still leave these instructions up, but I now do NOT recommend using this recipe. Sorry!! 

 My HCG came in the mail today and I am VERY excited about starting (again, sort of!). Although I have been checking the shipment updates every hour for about a week, I am really glad that I waited for the real stuff. Im hoping my patience pays off!

   I ordered my HCG from http://www.alldaychemist.com/, it was $64.00 (including shipping), and that was for 3 vials of HuCoG (5000 IU which is what is recommended for sublingual) HCG. One vial will give you 15 days sublingual or 30 days injections. It took about a week and a half for my order to arive (from India!) so I am pretty impressed with the company so far.

  Tonight I will be mixing my HCG for sublingual drops, and tomorrow I will start taking them, and begin my loading days (again!). For mixing, I will need a good quality vodka, some sterile water (Ill be using Dasani, lol), a small amber or blue glass bottle (for storing the mixed hcg), a sterile syringe w/needle (for extracting the vodka, sterile water, and hcg~ and transfering mixture) and a dosing syringe. I am hoping I can find all of this at the local Wal-Greens besides the vodka. You can also add stevia glycerine for taste but I figure its only a few drops under the tongue a couple times a day, I can live without it! These are some instructions I am "borrowing" from another website on how I will be mixing my hcg.

  Supplies Needed:

Alcohol - DO NOT USE RUBBING ALCOHOL! Rubbing Alcohol is poisonous when taken internally! Just use good distilled liquor (rum, vodka, gin, etc.) This acts as a preservative and aids in absorption, so don’t omit it. You will not taste it.

hCG – it is best to use 5,000 IU when making sublingual. The potency will last about 30 days, or more.

Amber or Blue glass bottle – get this at a health food store or a compounding pharmacy. The smaller it is, the better (10 ml is best). You will only be putting two teaspoons of liquid in it.

0.3 cc/ml syringe (for taking your dose) – The best is an insulin syringe. Try to get one that you can remove the needle from the tip.  You can use any size, I just prefer the .3 cc/ml.

5 cc/ml syringe for drawing the water and alcohol.

1. In a small (10-15 ml) amber/blue glass bottle mix:

For a 5,000 IU vial, use:

5 cc/ml water (can be tap water or bottled water, whatever you have on hand)
5 cc/ml alcohol
For a 1,500 IU vial use:

1.5 cc/ml water
1.5 cc/ml alcohol

(This will give you 500 IU per ml.  With either mixture you will use the dose as listed below the mixing instructions.)

2. Draw up 5 ml/cc of alcohol and put it into the amber/blue bottle.

3. Open vial. Make sure you use something like an alcohol swab or a tissue to cover it to snap the neck so you don’t cut yourself.  Set the vial aside.

4. Draw up 5 ml/cc of water. Slowly inject some of the water into the vial. It doesn’t matter how much you inject into the vial, you are just making the powder into a solution.  Put the rest of the water into the amber/blue bottle with the alcohol.

5. Swirl the vial to mix. The powder is highly soluble and will mix easily.

6. Hold the vial upside down over the amber/blue bottle and put your syringe into the neck of the vial and draw out the solution. If you spill any, it will go into the bottle. Make sure you get every drop out of the vial.

7. Swirl the amber/blue bottle to mix.

8. Store solution in the refrigerator, away from the front if possible.  Do NOT store in the door as this part of the fridge is usually not as cold as the interior.

To use the solution, draw up the following amount for each dose. Remember, you will be taking your dose twice daily..1 cc (or 10 on an insulin syringe) = 50 IU per dose, 100 IU daily

.15 cc (or 15 on an insulin syringe) = 75 IU per dose, 150 IU daily

.2 cc (or 20 on an insulin syringe) = 100 IU per dose, 200 IU daily

.25 cc (or 25 on an insulin syringe) = 125 IU per dose, 250 IU daily (this is what I will start at)

.3 cc (or 30 on an insulin syringe) = 150 IU per dose, 300 IU daily

The maximum dose is 333 IU per day. I personally haven’t seen anyone who needs this amount. Most need 250 maximum. If you feel that 300 IU isn’t doing the job, mix your next batch as follows:

Use 3.75 ml water and 3.75 ml alcohol for your solution, using part of the water to mix the powder into a solution.

Draw .25 cc (25 on an insulin syringe) solution each dose. This will give you 166.6 IU each dose. 333 IU daily.

Be careful though, because too much hCG will cause the same effects as not enough, slow or no weight loss.

  

Decision Made.

  I have decided that I will NOT be doing the hcg diet using the homeopathic drops. I'm not saying that they don't work, honestly I couldn't tell since I was eating whatever I wanted. I still don't have enough faith in them to confidently go on a 500 calorie a day diet using a $16 bottle of herbs. To me this diet is potentially dangerous if not done the right way, and I don't want to do it more than once, so I will be waiting on my order to get here. Hopefully it wont be too long.

  While I wait I will be doing a cleanse to rid my body of some of the toxins Ive been putting in it this week. I'm hoping that brings my weight down closer to where it was before I did the pointless loading days, because this morning I weighed 6 pounds heavier! Although I'm not looking forward to repeating the days of gorging, I feel much more confident in knowing I will be using a quality product.

  I probably wont update until i start Day 1 (again).

Day 3, still "holding in there"

  I never would have imagined that it would take this much dedication to eat junk! I guess I had better eating habits than I originally thought. I definitely feel a change in my energy, and unfortunately its not a good change. Ive been trying to eat more proteins instead of carbs the past couple days, hoping my stomach would be a little less upset with me. Its not really working. I feel sluggish, still bloated. I think I'm retaining about 10 gallons of water at this point! Luckily this part is almost over with. I really never thought I would be urging these days to pass by quicker!

  I'm nervous and still skeptical about starting the VLCD tomorrow! Ive been wondering about talking myself out of it. Not because I don't want to do it, because I don't have very much faith in the homeopathic drops Ive been taking. I got an email yesterday stating that the "good stuff" has shipped from India, but that will still take about a week, and there is no way I'm loading for a week!! I'm pretty sure that really would be counterproductive! Of course, I don't want to take these for a week and have them actually put my body into starvation, and then introduce the hcg. I'm not sure what it would do, if it would make me gain once the hcg was released because my body would hold onto the fat stores coming out of starvation. Probably not, that's not what other people have experienced in this situation for the most part. And I don't want these last 3 days to be for nothing, and I don't want to have to do them over again.

  I didn't weigh myself this morning, I'm going to wait until I decide for sure if I will start the VLCD tomorrow or not. I took some pictures with friends last night though, and boy am I ready to get the ball rolling on some weight loss. It was very motivating!

Day 2 (Still Loading)

   Woke up feeling bloated and lethargic. My entire logic is telling me to eat healthy, exercise, portion control. Basically everything I have trained my body to *try* to do the past few years, and everything that I'm really not allowed to do right now! I know I should enjoy it, because I know the cravings will come. I know there will be days that I want to throw in the towel and just say "screw it". But Ive invested a lot into this diet, and I'm going to do my best to stick to protocol.

  Today I weighed in 3.6lbs heavier than yesterday, (laugh out loud? not really). To be fair, I was dehydrated yesterday so a lot of that is probably water weight. We'll hope so at least. Ive had a few people advice me that the nausea might be from the grease of the foods Ive been eating, so to focus more on proteins instead of fried foods. Just not LEAN proteins. This morning I at 3 sausage, egg and cheese croissants (yikes!), for lunch I had 20 chicken nuggets with ranch and a snickers bar, and tonight I'm making jalapeno poppers and cheeseburgers. I think that should count as a LOAD day! It feels like it at least. I don't even want a hint at how many calories I'm consuming today!

  Most people do only 2 load days, but as my schedule has it, we have company until Sunday, so I'm going to be doing 3. I'm hoping this brings me more progress, and as backwards as this diet seems it just might!

My First Day Taking HCG

  Hello! My name is Ally, and this is my online diary tracking my progress on the hcg diet! I am a happily married mother of 4 boys, and a stay at home mom who has no excuses to not be in better shape! I want to say now that I am NOT an expert on this diet. My research has included Dr. Simeon's book Pounds and Inches, and several online sites dedicated to the hcg diet. If you are thinking of starting this diet my best advice is to be prepared! You can download Dr. Simeon's free book here. 

 Today is my first day taking Nigen Biotech Homeopathic HCG drops. I will be taking these until my "real" hcg comes through the mail. Patience is NOT my strong point, and from what I have read I will be able to switch mid-round without interrupting my progress. Homeopathic drops do NOT have real hcg in them, but thousands say they work all the same. I was cheap when I first ordered so I opted for hhcg, but after thinking about it I decided to order sublingual hcg. Its more expensive, but I feel a little more confident knowing it has real hcg. It ships from overseas, so it will take a little longer to get here. You can also get a prescription from your doctor if you have a doctor around that will be willing to offer you support.

  If you dont know exactly what HCG is, you can find information on several websites including www.hcgdietinfo.com. In short, HCG is a hormone produced by pregnant women. The theory behind the science is that if you are NOT pregnant and you take hcg in very small doses, it will trigger your brown fat (the fat that is VERY hard to lose, think love handles) to release itself into energy. Its highly controversial, but there is some science behind the madness.

  One of the main reasons this diet is so debated is that while you are taking the hcg, you must also follow a very strict, very low calorie diet, or VLCD. I will eat approximately 500 calories per day of very lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and an occasional Melba toast. The hcg triggers your fat stores to release, uses the adipose tissue for energy, releases the minerals and blood back into your system, and in turn you lose fat (not muscle). This sounds a lot like a starvation diet, I know. But the science says differently, and so do many hcg users. People who have used hcg have claimed to not be hungry, despite eating so very little. The theory behind that is since the hcg is releasing your fat stores, you are still getting the nutrition your body craves since the fat stores are releasing nutrients along with energy, so you dont crave actual food as much. Some have expressed different side effects, including heightened energy, mood swings, headache, and occasional nausea. I haven't experienced any of these yet, but I'm also only on day one!

  As you can tell, I am still a little skeptical of this diet, but I like to see things for myself when they sound too good to be true.

  Day 1

 I drank too much last night and forgot to eat the huge steak I made so I woke up very dehydrated and hungover, but one of the highlights of this diet are the first couple days, also known as LOADING DAYS.

  During the loading days, the dieter starts taking their daily dosage of hcg, and get to eat whatever they want, preferably in large portions. BEST DIET EVER!! Dr Simeon's recommends high fat foods such as milk chocolate, donuts, fried pork, high fat ice cream, etc. The reason behind this seemingly unnatural approach to dieting is when you binge on high fat foods, it tells your body that its okay to release the fat it has been storing. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but the proof is in the pudding (or pizza, or cheeseburger...). I believe its also a good time to say "good-bye" to those foods you will surely crave in the weeks to come. You don't absolutely have to do these loading days, but the people who have done them usually lost more weight than the people who opted out. 

  Now this sounds easy, and rather fun, but let me tell you, its not! The hcg is already making me less hungry, and add the fact of being hung-over... I'm trying to keep everything down.

  Today I had half a steak and baked potato with butter, cheese, and sour cream. I couldn't finish it all! I then ate a few bites of cheesecake about an hour ago, still feeling a little queasy. I'm drinking coke since it will be awhile before I taste it again. For lunch I might have hot dogs. Dinner, fettuccine Alfredo. Dessert, brownies and ice cream. My kids are going to love me the next couple days. My stomach is going to hate me! I'm actually really looking forward to the low calorie diet at this point.

I took a "before" picture so I can compare later on.

  My goal weight is somewhere around 150, about 29 lbs away. I am 5'9. I will be doing at least 21 days on the hcg and VLCD, no more than 40. Then I will do 3 weeks in phase 3, which is the phase the hcg is out of your system and you get to eat "real" foods again, except for sugars and starches. This phase is crucial as this is one of the main reasons people do not gain the weight back.

 Well, that's all for today. I will update later!