Sixteen Pounds Of Fat GONE!

As of this morning I have lost 16 pounds of fat off my body.  I feel better and I look better.  I can fit into some clothes I haven't been able to wear for years- that is fun because it's like I've gotten a new wardrobe for free! 

I know I would have lost much more weight if I had stuck to the HCG protocol more closely.  After the first week or so I decided to do a more flexible version.  What can I say, self discipline is not one of my strengths.  I was eating at least double the 500 calories, and a larger variety of foods than is permitted on the HCG diet.  And I was including all sorts of coconut products: coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut 'cream', and toasted coconut snacks.  All the same, I was still eating less than I had been before, and eating way less carbs and fats than before.  It's been a much healthier food intake overall.  And I've been getting more exercise than before as well, thanks to my new dog, Griffin, who likes his walks every day.  (Three cheers for Griffin!)

I've now stopped taking the homeopathic HCG, ending 'Phase 2' of my version of the HCG Diet.  Now 'Phase 3' begins, easing in a wider variety of foods, but still avoiding starches & sugar, while maintaining the weight loss.  I'll probably begin a second round of HCG in late April or early May.

I'm Going Nuts!

Yes, I'm going nuts.  I'm going nuts for coconuts, to be precise!  I've decided to change the focus of this blog to coconuts and the fantastic health benefits associated with eating coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk.  Mmmmm!  I'll be back later with more, but right now my toasted coconut, sweetened with Lo-Han, is calling out to me.

Forgetting Doses of HCG

One problem I'm having with this is sometimes forgetting to take one of my three daily doses.  Or forgetting whether or not I've taken it...  I did purchase the little tracker booklet shown below, to help me keep track of what I've eaten each day, and the morning weight.  That is VERY helpful in tracking where I'm at with everything each day, and I note down when I take my HCG doses in it as well.  But this morning I didn't write anything, and while I think I had a dose when I got up, I'm not sure.  Maybe I didn't.  Arrrrg.  

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Down 9 Pounds Now

At this morning's weigh in I am down nine pounds from my starting weight. That's not too bad for the 12th day of the 'very low calorie' phase of this HCG protocol, especially since I am including a fat, with the coconut milk and coconut oil I've been eating in most meals (YUM). I'm pleased. By the way, after trying several different kinds of coconut milks, I've found my favorite is the Chaokoh brand from Thailand.

OK, That's More Like It

Alright then, this morning I am down a pound from what I weighed yesterday morning, and am finally back down below where I was before I 'cheated' several days ago.   Phew!

Also, yesterday I got some ketone strips, to test for the presence of ketones in my urine.  Ketones in the urine indicates that your body is burning fat for fuel.  And I have tested positive for small amounts of ketones, so that is good.

This obsession with numbers on a scale is new to me.  Before starting this I didn't even own a scale.  I knew I was fat, I didn't care to know exactly HOW fat!  But I did want to be able to track the results I got with the HCG Diet, so I purchased a scale.

Hmmmm...

Same weight this morning as yesterday morning, and still .2 pound above what I was before my 'cheating' day.  I skipped both breadsticks and both apples yesterday.  No hunger, though, in spite of that... and walked a couple of miles with my dog, too...

'Cheating' While On The HCG Diet

Well, I 'cheated' yesterday by going off protocol, and it showed in this morning's weight, which was UP over a pound.  Yesterday I gave into cravings (not hunger, just cravings) and put half & half & zylitol in my tea, ate an extra portion of beef, and ate one licorice candy (yum!).  I really enjoyed them all too!  I'm not feeling guilty about it, but I do see that it makes a difference, so I'll try not to do that again.

There are three other ways I'm not following the original protocol as given by Dr. Simeons, and, as long as I continue to lose weight I intend to continue with these, as they really make all this easier for me.  The first is that I am mixing veggies, so I have more than one at a time, such as a salad of cucumbers and onions (a combination I've always loved), or onions and swiss chard in my curried chicken dish.  The second, as I've already written about, is adding miracle noodles.  They add bulk and fiber, but no calories, fat, or carbs, so I think they are OK.   And the third thing is the most questionable- I'm cooking my meals using some coconut oil or coconut milk.  That does add fat, so it's a no-no.  But coconut oil is supposed to have many health benefits, including being helpful with weight loss.  So, for now, I'm including it.  If I 'stall' out in my weight loss, once I start losing again after yesterday's cheating, the coconut oil will be the first thing I cut out.  And, just to be clear, I am not suggesting that anybody else should do what I'm doing when on the HCG Diet, I'm just wanting to be honest in reporting how I'm doing it.  So, as they say on TV, "Don't try this at home, folks!"  (Or, if you do, you must accept FULL responsibility for the results.)

5+ Pounds Gone In The First Week

Well, I've completed my first week on the HCG protocol (I like that word better than diet), and I've lost over five pounds. Actually I've lost a little more, because that first week included the 2 high fat 'gorge' days, which caused me to gain weight, as expected. But I'm down 5.8 pounds from the weight I was at on Day One.

I'm not experiencing any hunger, but I am longing for some of my favorite foods... espescially dairy products, milk, cream, butter, and cheese, all of which I love and have always consumed a lot of. But I do feel it's worth going without these things while I do this.

Headaches...

Yesterday (Day 4 of Phase 2) and today, I've had a low grade headache. It lasted all night and I woke up with it still here this morning. It finally went away this evening. From what I've read, it's not uncommon for people to experience headaches in the beginning of the very low calorie Phase 2, as the body adjusts to utilizing its own stored fat for fuel. Whatever was going on, it seems to have passed for now, and it never was more than a mild annoyance anyway.

I Love Miracle Noodles!!

Miracle Noodles are fantastic, and they are helping me to stick to the HCG Diet. I highly recommend them, and I will continue eating them regularly even when I'm done dieting. 

 
Miracle Noodles, also known as Shirataki noodles, are made from Konjac flour, which comes from the roots of the yam-like Konjac plant grown in Japan and China. The primary ingredient in the noodles is glucommannan, water-soluble dietary fiber.

Miracle noodles:

- Contain no fat, sugar, or starch.
- Have no carbohydrates or calories
- Are wheat & gluten free, and kosher.
- Absorb the flavors of any soup, dish, or sauce.
- Provide beneficial effects for those with Type II Diabetes,
Constipation, Obesity, and Cholesterol issues

While these noodles don't have a lot of things you don't want, what they do have is very useful fiber, which absorbs water, helps you feel fuller, longer, and keeps things moving along nicely in the digestive tract. They have no taste on their own, but take on the taste of whatever dish they're served in. I've been eating the angel hair noodles, but Miracle Noodles also is available in other shapes. Click on the banner below to check them out. And if you order, you can get a ten percent discount by entering this code: FB10 as you checkout! Let me know how you like your noodles, if you try them.

It Has Begun...

Today my HCG arrived and I've officially begun my HCG diet experience.  I'm psyched to be doing this!  The first two days of the protocol, Phase One, are for eating a lot of high fat foods to stock up the fat reserves so that hunger is not felt as one proceeds to Phase Two, which is the very low calorie (500 calories per day) main part of the HCG diet.  I'm way stuffed, and not really liking this Phase One part... looking forward to settling in on the very low calorie days starting Sunday evening or Monday morning.  But everything I've read stresses the importance of doing the high fat Phase One days.  People who skip them have a more difficult initial experience with Phase Two.

My starting weight is 239, I'm 5'8" and have a very large bone structure for a female. (My hands are larger than almost every female I've ever met, and most males as well.)  I'm intending to loose around 70 pounds.  That will require 2 or 3 cycles of the HCG diet.  After the 2 day high fat Round One, and the 23 - 40 day very low calorie Round 2, there is Round Three, where you begin to increase your calories again while still avoiding starches and sugars.  You are supposed to remain off HCG for as many days as you were on it, before doing another cycle, in order to keep your body from developing a tolerance to the effects of the HCG. 

The HCG Diet - Pounds And Inches - The Weight Loss Cure

 The HCG Diet protocol was developed and pioneered by English doctor, Dr. Simeons, in the 1959, and written about in his book ‘Pounds and Inches’. 

Dr. Simeons

The HCG Diet was 'rediscovered' by the general public after being written about in Kevin Trudeau’s book 'The Weight Loss Cure'.

The short videos below feature Kevin Trudeau giving a good introduction to the HCG Diet, as he speaks on The Weight Loss Cure, in a lecture he presented at Green Vally Spa in October 2008.