What I love about the HCG Diet, besided the weight loss, is that it is conducted in phases so you're not stuck in any one diet plan for long. I get bored easily, hence my history of diet after diet. I won't pretend to be any kind of expert on the biological process that are supposed to cause the weight loss. You can google "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeon for the details and the science behind the HCG Diet. But here is my experience with the diet so far.
Phase 1: Loading. (Two Days)
8/18/11 and 8/19/11 I began taking the OTC homeopathic drops and spent two days eating as much fatty food as I could. I made sure to eat anything I thought I'd miss in the next six weeks. All the fat is supposed to help you get through the first few days of Phase 2, when your caloric intake is cut drastically. Please note that my starting weight is from 8/18/11, before I started loading.
Phase 2: Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) (21 to 40 days)
8/20/11 through 9/7/11 I was on a VLCD while taking the homeopathic drops sublingually three times a day. I ate 500 calories a day which came almost entirely from vegetables, fruits and lean meats. At first it was hard to avoid sugar, I have a major sweet tooth. And I love bread. But I figured it was only three weeks... knowing that it was not forever made it so much easier to do than other diets, where I was cutting out some foods forever, in theory.
I lost 18.4 lbs between 8/18/11 and 9/7/11. The clothes I was busting out of now fit loosely, and I've even had to stop wearing a few pieces because they're just too small!
Phase 3: Maintenance (21 to 40 days)
On Maintenance you stop taking the drops and begin eating 1500 to 2000 calories a day. You slowly add fats back into your diet like olive oil and coconut oil, dairy products like cream and cheese, widen your selection of meats, vegetables and fruit, and add nuts also. You just can't eat carbs or sugar, with the exception of what is present naturally in the fruits and other whole foods you eat. I'm on Day 13 of Phase 3 and really enjoy it. I no longer crave sugar or bread, have heavy whipping cream and vanilla stevia in my coffee in the morning, I don't count calories but I'm sure I'm getting upwards of 2000 per day with plenty of fruits and veggies... and I'm maintaining within two lbs of my weight the last day of Phase 2.
After Phase 3 you can move on to Phase 4, where you slowly incorporate new foods into your diet until you are no longer on a diet at all. Or you can do another round of the diet, which is what I'm doing. I start again in October and can't wait to see more changes in my size and shape!
Consult your doctor before beginning any weight-loss program.
FTC disclaimer: I receive no compensation from HCG companies, I'm merely recounting my own experiences.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I Lost 18 Lbs in 3 Weeks on the HCG Diet
If you've been read my blog for any length of time, you know 1) I want to lose weight and 2) I clearly have attention-span issues. I've tried Weight Watchers, Atkin's, Gastric Mind Band Therapy and now I'm moving on.... to the HCG Diet.
For the record, I think WW, Atkin's, and GMBT are all great ways to go to lose weight. And I credit the GMBT for helping me stick to the HCG Diet. But I didn't stick to to the program on any of those weight-loss plans long enough to see any substantial results.
I first became aware of the HCG Diet almost a year ago. I knew of two people losing weight on some restrictive diet, but I didn't pay any attention. As the months went by I noticed they were looking fabulous, and someone I knew a little better went on the diet. She lost over 20 lbs in three weeks and insisted she wasn't hungry or tired or losing muscle. So I talked to her alot more about what she was doing and I started looking up information on the program.
What I found was that many people both in the medical community and in the general public have reservations about the HCG Diet. And just as many people, both medical professionals and laypeople, are strong advocates for this program. I decided to make my own decision; I decided to try it.
Google "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeon for basic plan information on the HCG Diet. His plan was developed using injections of the HCG hormone, however I'm using an over-the-counter homeopathic version that I buy at CVS. I'll go into the particulars of my experience with the HCG Diet in future posts. But for now, my post title sums up my opinion on the HCG Diet so far.... I lost 18 lbs in three weeks! Wahoo!
FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the Gastric Mind Band service was provided at no charge. I receive no compensation from Weight Watchers, HCG companies or Atkin's, I'm merely recounting my own experiences.
For the record, I think WW, Atkin's, and GMBT are all great ways to go to lose weight. And I credit the GMBT for helping me stick to the HCG Diet. But I didn't stick to to the program on any of those weight-loss plans long enough to see any substantial results.
I first became aware of the HCG Diet almost a year ago. I knew of two people losing weight on some restrictive diet, but I didn't pay any attention. As the months went by I noticed they were looking fabulous, and someone I knew a little better went on the diet. She lost over 20 lbs in three weeks and insisted she wasn't hungry or tired or losing muscle. So I talked to her alot more about what she was doing and I started looking up information on the program.
What I found was that many people both in the medical community and in the general public have reservations about the HCG Diet. And just as many people, both medical professionals and laypeople, are strong advocates for this program. I decided to make my own decision; I decided to try it.
Google "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeon for basic plan information on the HCG Diet. His plan was developed using injections of the HCG hormone, however I'm using an over-the-counter homeopathic version that I buy at CVS. I'll go into the particulars of my experience with the HCG Diet in future posts. But for now, my post title sums up my opinion on the HCG Diet so far.... I lost 18 lbs in three weeks! Wahoo!
FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the Gastric Mind Band service was provided at no charge. I receive no compensation from Weight Watchers, HCG companies or Atkin's, I'm merely recounting my own experiences.
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