I have finished round 2, and I put together a video log of my before and after pics since the beginning of my HCG journey in May, 2010. After two rounds of HCG, I have lost a total of 49 lbs! I have gone from a size 16/18 to a size 8! My next round will start over Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you enjoy the video.

HCG has been a true Godsend for me. I thank the Lord every day for helping me discover HCG. It really does work!

Tags : Dr. Simeons, homeopathic hcg, kevin trudeau, photos, pounds and inches, Real HCG, videos, VLCD, vlog, weight loss, weight loss cure, YouTube

I uploaded my first YouTube video today. I hope you enjoy it.

Tags : Dr. Simeons, HHCG, phase 2, videos, VLCD, weight loss, YouTube

I wanted to address this topic a little bit. I am now on Day 29 of the VLCD (very low calorie diet). In this amount of time, I have had 6 total days of weight gain (3 times @ 2 days in a row). Today is the third time that I have gained weight for the 2nd day in a row. Strange, huh? I believe my body is showing a pattern…

What do you do when you gain weight on VLCD?

First of all, do not stress out over it. It’s really not that big of a deal unless you are cheating or not following the protocol.

Second, reevaluate everything that you have eaten. Have you followed the protocol? Are you ONLY eating the allowed foods? Have you weighed your fruits and veggies and added up calories to equal no more than 500? Are you eating oils? Are you eating your fruits in the same meal (a NO-NO)? Are you combining your breadsticks (another NO-NO)?

Third, are you using oily lotions or products on your skin? Are you ovulating or on your menstrual cycle? Did you exercise recently? Are you getting enough sleep at night?

Fourth, are you drinking enough water? Water is VERY important to this diet. It helps flush away the fat! In the manuscript, Dr. Simeons says that patients should be drinking at least 2 liters of fluids per day. It has been recommend by numerous health sites that a person should drink half their weight in ounces daily. If you weigh 200 lbs, then you should be drinking 100 ounces of water per day! At my current weight, I should be drinking 90 ounces of water per day. However, I am drinking 1 gallon of water (128 oz.) every day. It has really helped my digestive system!

All of these factors come into play on this diet. First, evaluate everything that I have said above before moving on to the information below.

Remember, as a woman, it is normal to go through weight fluctuations. Women hold more water than men. It’s also easier for a man to lose weight. The average weight loss for a woman is 1/2 pound per day. Evaluate your progress so far. From your start date, what is your average weight loss? Despite the six days that I have gained and two days of no loss, I am still averaging .62 per day from the time that I started this diet. I am above the average loss for a woman.

Should I try an apple day?

People tend to panic when they start gaining weight or have days of no losses. In Dr. Simeons manuscript, he addresses “The Plateau”. A true plateau, according to the good doctor, is after 4-6 days of no losses and frequently occurs during the second half of a phase. Unless you have been stuck for at least 4-6 days, then you are not in a TRUE plateau.

If a patient wants to break up a plateau, then they can have an “Apple Day”. An apple day begins at lunch and continues just until lunch the next day. You are allowed 6 apples to eat throughout the day whenever you are hungry. You should only drink enough water to quench your thirst, and you are not to eat anything else until lunch the next day.

Is an Apple Day worth it?

In my opinion, not really. Dr. Simeons describes the “Apple Day” as purely psychological !  Basically, it’s for those that feel like they need to see movement on the scale.

Why do we gain or plateau if we are following the protocol?

Again, Dr. Simeons explains this in his manuscript. Let’s review how this diet works. While on HCG and a VLCD, fat is pulled from the cells of the fatty tissue. Once the cells have been emptied, before they are absorbed by the body, they may fill with water. Water is heavier than fat. In this process, you could show no loss or even a slight gain. When the tissue has been broken down and absorbed by the body, you will probably experience an increase in urination and a loss on the scale. Here is a quote from Dr. Simeons manuscript:

“The weight registered by the scale is determined by two processes not necessarily synchronized. Under the influence of HCG, fat is being extracted from the cells, in which it is stored in the fatty tissue. When these cells are empty and therefore serve no purpose, the body breaks down the cellular structure and absorbs it, but breaking up of useless cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, etc., may lag behind the process of fat-extraction. When this happens the body appears to replace some of the extracted fat with water which is retained for this purpose. As water is heavier than fat the scales may show no loss of weight, although sufficient fat has actually been consumed to make up for the deficit in the 500-Calorie diet. When then such tissue is finally broken down, the water is liberated and there is a sudden flood of urine and a marked loss of weight. This simple interpretation of what is really an extremely complex mechanism is the one we give those patients who want to know why it is that on certain days they do not lose, though they have committed no dietary error.”

This should help explain the process of fat loss on the HCG Diet.

To conclude this topic, don’t stress over the scale! This is why it is important to continue to measure yourself. Many people experience inches lost while the scale isn’t moving. We lose weight in a stair step fashion. Our bodies need time to adjust. Keep following the diet, and it will work for you. Don’t try to cheat the system. This is an effective way to lose weight.

Good Luck!

Tags : Dr. Simeons, exercise, HCG Diet Tips, phase 2, plateau, pounds and inches, sleep, water, weight gain

Drink PLENTY of Water!

The rule of thumb for water is typically 1/2 your weight in ounces daily. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should drink 100 ounces of water per day. Water is important for our everyday functions. It helps flush away toxins and move our digestive system along.

In Dr. Simeon’s manuscript, he believed that it is important to drink at least 2 liters of “fluids” per day. He included coffee and tea in the fluid count. However, I do not do this. I believe that you should not count your coffee and tea as your fluid intake, or you may never drink plain water! I drink a gallon of water per day, and it has really helped my digestive system to function properly.

If you don’t like water, then add a little bit of lemon juice to it. I used to fill up one liter bottles and refill them when they were empty. The problem was that I would forget how many times I filled them up. Now, I fill up a one gallon jug with water and pour it into a large cup throughout the day. I know exactly how much that I have drank for the day. If I have coffee, tea, or a diet soda, I do not include those amounts of fluids with my water. I ALWAYS drink my one gallon of water ON TOP OF my coffee, tea, or diet soda.

If you are worried about being up all night and running to the bathroom, be sure to drink all of your water by no later than 3-4 hours before you go to bed. My rule thumb is to be finished by 8pm if I am up until midnight. This way, I can get a good night’s sleep (which is diet tip #3)!

Tags : Dr. Simeons, HCG Diet Tips, pounds and inches, water

Here is the chart that I am using to help calculate my calories for Phase 2 foods. I have obtained my calorie information through http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/ .

The Sesame Breadstick and the fat free croutons are not on the original protocol, but I thought I would include them here anyway. The small sesame breadstick is the closest thing that I can find to a grissini, and found it at Wal-Mart in the cracker section; however, the other Wal-Mart did not have them. The croutons have sugar as a listed ingredient, but if you look at the nutritional label, the amount of sugar per serving is listed as “0″.

I have made an Excel Spreadsheet for anyone who wants to download and print it out for easy referenced. You can find it under the Blogroll links to the right, or click here to download a copy of the HCG Food Calorie Count Chart .

Tags : calorie chart, calories, Dr. Simeons, HCG Diet Tips, phase 2, pounds and inches, VLCD

Starting Weight: 201.6

Today’s Weight: 194.2

Overnight Gain/Loss: -.4 (Not a lot, but that’s ok. I didn’t follow protocol well yesterday. 1/2 pound is still good)

Total Loss: 7.4 pounds in 5 days!

HHCG: 18 drops 2 x day (trying this for a 3rd day)

So, I burped up bell pepper half the night and felt like I had a mild case of heartburn. I don’t think I will be doing THAT again! lol. I’m still losing weight, so it’s all good.

For breakfast, it was my usual coffee and splenda again! For lunch, I decided to have some cottage cheese. In the manuscript, Dr. Simeon does mention an occasional egg plus 3 whites or low-fat cottage cheese in place of a meat protein. Well, I would really like to change things up so I don’t get bored. My lunch consisted of 6 strawberries in 2% cottage cheese (Daisy brand!), 7 asparagus, and one breadstick. 5 chocolate delights – they are becoming a weakness for me.

For dinner,  once again, I broke protocol and made a “mock” lasagna. The hubby and kids had lasagna for dinner, so I decided to make one for me. To make the lasagna, I used a large cabbage leaf split in half. I placed one half on the bottom of a small pie plate. On top of the cabbage leaf, I placed 2 oz. of cooked 96% lean ground beef mixed with 1/2 a mixture of 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper, and a little bit of water. Then, I spooned 1/4  c. of cottage cheese over the ground beef mixture and topped it with the other half of the cabbage leaf. I spooned the remaining tomato mixture over the top. I covered it with foil and cooked it in the oven for a while. This would have turned out better if I had cooked the cabbage leaves in advance. The cottage cheese had dried out, and the cabbage leaves weren’t quite done all of the way. With my mock lasagna, I ate 1/2 cucumber, a handful of strawberries, and a breadstick. And of course, I had 5 chocolate delights. I really need to quit that!

I drank 3 liters of water.

Tags : asparagus, beef, breadstick, cabbage, chocolate delights, coffee, cottage cheese, cucumber, Dr. Simeons, ground beef, HHCG, phase 2, splenda, strawberries, tomato paste, VLCD, water, weight loss

R1P1LD1

What is a loading day? A loading day is the first 2 or 3 days that you are taking your HCG, whether it be injections, sublingual, or homeopathic. On loading days, you eat as much as you can in fatty foods; thus, “loading” up your system with lots of fat.

Here is what Dr. Simeons says in his manual: “Patients whose general condition is low, owing to excessive previous dieting, must eat to capacity for about one week before starting treatment, regardless of how much weight they may gain in the process. 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.”

Some people even decide to do 3 loading days. I’m only going to do 2 loading days.

Okay, so it’s loading day number 1. The brand of homeopathic drops that I purchased is called Natural Health Labs HCG. I bought them on ebay for around $21 in an auction. A 2 oz. bottle is supposed to last 40 days. On the bottle, it says to take 6 drops 6 x daily. I have decided not to do that. In order for homeopathic drops to work, you need to take them several times per day. They do not stay in your system as long. I have decided to start out with 12 drops 3 x daily. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I forced myself to eat. I ate several twinkies and little debbie snack cakes throughout the day, two sandwiches LOADING with lots of meat and several slices of cheese. For dinner, I loaded up on chili dogs. Okay, it’s not the best start to fatty foods, but I wanted to start this diet today because my drops came in today! I also drank 3 liters of water. I wanted to start off drinking my water! Now, off to tomorrow!

Tags : Dr. Simeons, HHCG, loading days, phase 2, water

The HCG Diet is a protocol created by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, M.D. in 1971. His manuscript is titled, ” Pounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity “. You can download a copy of it here . The HCG Diet has once again been made popular by Kevin Trudeau’s book, The Weight Loss Cure. I have not yet read his book, but the original “Pounds and Inches” is the diet that he talks about. However, I have heard that Kevin Trudeau adds detox phases and other things that the original protocol did not do. For now, I will stick with the original diet because I have read a lot of testimonies, and I am convinced that this is the way to go. This diet, in combination with HCG, is supposed to help reset the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. It is responsible for certain metabolic processes.

For easy reference, probably due to Kevin’s Trudeau’s book, a number of people have divided up Dr. Simeon’s protocol into phases of this diet. Here is how it works:

Rounds: Each round is made up of phases.

Phase 1: In Kevin Trudeau’s book, this refers to the detox phase. We will be skipping this one.

Phase 2: This is the weight loss phase of the diet. It consists of 2-3 loading days, referred to as LD1,LD2, and LD3. The loading days are the days in which you have officially started on your HCG, whether it be injections, sublingual, or homeopathic hcg. You will load up on fatty foods to fill up your fat reserves. A few people have lost weight during this time, but don’t necessarily plan on it. A 4-8 pound weight gain is quite normal. Dr. Simeon’s talks about the loads in his manuscript. It is important that you read the manuscript for yourself. I have read it several times, and each time I read it, something else pops out at me.

VLCD : After you have completed your loading days, you will now move on to the weight loss part of the diet. You are still considered to be in Phase 2, but now you are on your Very Low Calorie Days (500 calorie diet), referred to as VLCD. You can find the VLCD here, or read Dr. Simeon’s manuscript. You will continue phase 2 for a minimum of 23 days (loading days count). In Dr. Simeon’s book, he stopped people at 40 days because he was worried about a loss of immunity with the injections. If you go to the HCG DIET or HCG DIETER’s Yahoo Groups, you will find many people who have past 40 days worth of HCG. Again, I am doing the Homeopathic HCG, so I’m not worried about immunity. We’ll talk more about homeopathic HCG a little later.

LIW or LDW: Once you have completed at least 23 days and are ready to start the maintanence phase, you will need to take an important step to end the HCG and move on to phase 3. On the last day that you take your HCG, weigh yourself. This weight will be your LIW or LDW. For those of you taking injections, LIW refers to “last injection weight”. For anyone else taking sublingual or homeopathic drops, LDW refers to “last dosage weight”. This is the weight that you will be maintaining until you start another round (if you have more weight to lose). For 3 days after you have quit taking the HCG, you will need to continue with the VLCD (very low calorie day). This is required until the HCG is completely out of your system. Once you have eaten your 3 VLCD without the HCG, then you can move on to Phase 3.

Phase 3: Once you have completed at least 23 days on phase 2, you can move on to phase 3, which is the phase in which you are maintaining your weight. All foods allowed except starch or sugar, being careful of certain fruits. You should continue eating this way for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, you can very gradually add starch in small quantities, always staying in control by weighing yourself each morning. In Dr. Simeon’s book, he recommends that you stay in this phase for a minimum of 6 weeks before starting a 2nd round of weight loss.

“When a third, fourth, or even fifth course is necessary, the interval between courses should be made progressively longer.” For example, you will need to wait 6 weeks between round 1 and 2, 8 weeks between round 2 and 3, 12 weeks between round 3 and 4, and 20 weeks between round 4th and 5th rounds. And lastly, you will need to wait 6 months between rounds 5 and 6. Of course, all of this depends on how much weight you need to lose. I believe this is important to helping you maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life. This diet is all about resetting the hypothalamus and regulating your body weight.

Phase 4: The Maintenance Phase. You will only be doing this phase of the diet when you have reached your goal weight. Otherwise, you will continue with phase 3 and start a new round with phase 2 again.

Apple Days (Phase 2): If you have been stuck in a plateau for 4-5 days, you can choose to do an apple day. However, Dr. Simeon’s has explained that this is purely for psychological reasons. During an apple day, no other foods or drinks are allowed except for 6 large apples. An apple day begins at lunch and ends just before lunch the next day. You are to eat an apple whenever you feel hungry. You should only drink water when you are feeling thirsty.

Steak Days (Phase 3 and beyond): As long as you are maintaining your weight within 2 pounds of your LIW or LDW, you should not worry about the scale. However, when you have gone beyond a 2 pound weight gain, even if it’s only by a few ounces, then you should do a steak day. On the SAME DAY that you are up in weight over 2 pounds, you will need to skip breakfast and lunch, but continue to drink plenty of fluids. For dinner, you can eat a HUGE steak with either one apple or a raw tomato.

Tags : apple, apple cider vinegar, asparagus, beef, breadstick, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, chicken breast, chuck steak, coffee, cottage cheese, cucumber, Dr. Simeons, eggs, exercise, eye of round, food scale, green leaf lettuce, ground beef, HCG Diet Tips, HHCG, iceberg lettuce, lemon juice, loading days, melba toast, off protocol, onion, oranges, phase 2, plateau, pounds and inches, ribeye steak, romaine lettuce, salad, sleep, splenda, steak, strawberries, tomato, VLCD, water, weight gain, weight loss, weight scale