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.

Gastric Mind Band Therapy + A Solid Plan = Success!



Flickr - Leo Reynolds

 Lost 3 more lbs this week for a total of 5.4 so far.  I was afraid the weekend did me in, I ate out a couple times and it can be so hard to estimate nutritional values when someone else is cooking.  But everything turned out fine.  And by the way, I think the reason the weight-loss is going so smoothly this time is the hypnosis, it really is helping me stay on-track.


FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the Gastric Mind Band service was provided at no charge

December... Oops

I can't believe I let Christmas go by without wishing you a Merry Christmas... Merry Christmas!  I hope it was wonderful and full of love and joy.  That said, on to the progress notes: So you know how I  said one of the results of the hypnosis was that I felt like I had a little Good Health Fairy sitting on my shoulder giving me advice?  Well, apparently in the month of December I had her gagged.  Poor little thing.  I stopped listening to her.  The hypnosis doesn't do all the work for you, you have to follow-through on the advice: have a glass of water, take a walk, put some more veggies in that dish, etc.  And for God's sake put down the stinking frappucino! 

For a month full of homemade candy and cookies, I supposed it could have been worse.  I gained 4.8 lbs.  That puts me up 2.8 lbs from my starting weight.  Yikes.  So, I've taken the gag off the Good Health Fairy and she hit me over the head with her wand a couple times.  I'm not listening to her 100% but I'm letting her talk and taking more of her advice.  Most notably exercising.  I know that once a week is not sufficent exercise, but it's more than I had been doing.  And for the last three weeks I've worked out once a week.... the first week I hit the elliptical at the gym, and the other two weeks I went ice-skating. 

The long and short of it is that I've been struggling lately and I am so thankful for the Gastric Mind Band Therapy, because I think without it I would have gained alot more than 2.8 lbs in the last few months.

FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the Gastric Mind Band service was provided at no charge.

Life After GMBT

I’ve had all four sessions and my hypnotherapist set me loose to get on with the process. Last week, the week following my final session, I had the week from hell. I was so busy and every time I turned around there was more to do. I am 100% positive that without the hypnosis I would have eaten every meal last week from a fast-food drive-through and would have turned into a giant french fry. But I didn’t. I brought my lunch to work every day and cooked dinner at home each night. I did have two or three breakfasts from the local convenience store and I bought a few sugary coffee beverages, but I know that things could have been a lot worse. And I finished out the week from hell with a 0.6 lb loss. And you know what? I was happy about it. I made a few poor decisions last week but 85% of the time I was making good decisions about what I put into my body. Two months ago, a week like that might have ended up with a 3 lb or more gain. But not this time. Oh no, this time I lost. So while 0.6 lb may not seem like much to someone else, to me it’s 0.6 lb lost PLUS 3 lb or more not gained. WAHOO! Winner winner chicken dinner!

I also wanted to talk about the cyclical weight fluctuations that women often experience, due to hormone levels and water retention. Without getting into too much detail I’ll say that this past Sunday morning I weighed 4 lbs less than the morning before. And I think many women can relate to the frustration of working and working at weight loss and then having the scale readings dispute their efforts. That’s why I’m only going to post my weight on the progress page monthly, not weekly. And… I should be confident enough to start posting the progress numbers now but frankly, there is a certain number I need to get below before I’m comfortable enough to start posting those particular cold hard facts again. Never fear, it’s only a few weeks away and then I will post my progress from the beginning of the GMBT sessions to the current date. But for the record, in the first four weeks on GMBT I lost 5.6 lbs with no effort at all. So now it’s time for me to start putting some effort into it. And that shouldn’t be hard with all the tools I’ve got on my belt now.

FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.

Gastric Mind Band Therapy, Session Four

This past Sunday I had my fourth and final GMBT session. I was so excited! Julie began this session by providing information, just as she had done in the other three sessions. She told me about different kinds of gastric surgery, and the side effects and risks. The risks range from constant heartburn to lifelong diarrhea to, as with any surgery, possible death. She gave me information on the success rate with gastric surgeries, which actually made me sad. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to take the huge step to have surgery in order to control your weight, only to find yourself gaining the weight back a few years later. And you already had the surgery, so what would your next step be? My heart goes out to anyone in that position.

She talked about the specific gastric procedure that the hypnosis would be mimicking, the adjustable gastric band. A hollow band is looped around your stomach and then filled with saline. The saline makes the band expand so that it constricts around your stomach, leaving room above it for about six tablespoons of food or liquid. Following the surgery you are on a liquid diet for several weeks, and after that can move on to solid foods. She showed me actual video of the procedure being performed, then a computerized animation. And then it was on to the hypnosis!

The big comfy chair I usually reclined on during hypnosis was covered by a sheet. I took off my shoes and laid down. She covered me with another sheet and put a “Mind Band” wristband on my arm. She attached a heartrate monitor to my finger and told me to close my eyes. She began with the relaxation stuff and she used scents this time as well. I could smell the jasmine in the field she was describing. Then she moved on to the surgical part of the session. The music was gone and I heard the hustle and bustle of a hospital in the background as Julie talked. I could smell the antiseptic. I heard a heartrate monitor beeping in the background. She later told me that she observed my heartrate changed to match the recorded one during the session. That is pretty damn cool. She talked me through the procedure and then described a tightness I would feel in my abdomen when I began to overeat. She described an uncomfortable sensation that would appear when I overate but would vanish when I stopped eating. She talked about how I would eat small, sensible, healthy meals. I would eat only when I was hungry and stop when I was full. My weight loss would accelerate now and I would continue to lose at a healthy rate until I reached my goal weight. And then I would stay at that weight forever. Hallelujah!

As always, I woke feeling refreshed, confident and energized. I will miss those sessions. Julie gave me a golf ball with Gastric Mind Band written on it, to remind me of the new suggested size of my stomach, and a 9-inch plate to help me continue to eat smaller meals. She also gave me a binder that contained recordings of each of the hypnosis sessions, plus one recording about motivation and one for relaxation. The binder is also full of helpful information about the procedure, the therapy and weight loss.

It’s only been a couple days since the fourth session. As of that day, four weeks since I started down this road, I lost 5 lbs without even trying. I can’t wait to see how easy it will be to continue to lose. I’m already appreciating the help the hypnosis gives… this evening I was so tired and busy.  I’ve been running on empty for several days now. I had a couple errands to run and no time to go home and fix dinner, so I knew I was going to have to pick something up before I turned into a big hungry grumpy bear. At least, that’s what usually happens when I’m hungry for very long; I don’t think the hypnotherapy was designed to fix that particular problem. So I pulled into a fast food chicken place and ordered a four-piece chicken strip basket. It came with a biscuit and fries. I was S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G! And I was absolutely stuffed after two scrawny chicken strips, the biscuit and less than half the fries. If you know me, you know that I can put away the grub and there was no way a few meager handfuls of food would satisfy me. But it did. I could not eat any more. Well, maybe I could have, but I was as full as a tick (as my grandma used to say) and had no desire to eat any more. I had just experienced a minor miracle. Wow. This is really going to work.

FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.

Gastric Mind Band Therapy, Session Three

I can’t believe I’m almost done with the therapy sessions. There is only one left. I’ve really looked forward to the sessions… working through the food issues, discussing nutrition, and then the oh-so-relaxing hypnosis sessions. But I’m also excited that soon I’ll have completed all the sessions and will be on the road to a smaller, healthier, more fit me!

This past Sunday was my third of four Gastric Mind Band Therapy sessions (GMBT). I walked in the door 4.6 lbs lighter than my first session, two weeks prior, so I was already excited and positive about another appointment. This time my therapist, Julie Gibson, began things by handing me a jar containing one pound of lard. How often do we lose just one pound and are disappointed that we didn’t lose more? The jar was heavier than I thought one pound would be. Julie said anytime I lost a pound I should remember how heavy that jar was. Then we discussed nutrition: serving sizes, label reading, things to be aware of such as sodium in processed foods and the nutritional advantage you usually have when cooking at home instead of eating out. We talked about the basics of weight loss: a pound is 3500 calories, if you cut 500 calories from your diet every day, in theory you would lose one pound a week. Of course there are other variables: your level of activity, hormones, medical conditions, medications, etc. It’s hard to know what causes the occasional plateau, when your weight-loss efforts continue but your weight-loss does not. She got out a huge stack of books that we flipped through and talked about. Some were cookbooks and all were about nutrition. I have a whole new wishlist for the bookstore now!

Then we did the third hypnosis session. After the initial relaxation exercise, I remember that Julie talked in more detail about my goals, motivations and methods for achieving them. She talked about meals and how I would be leaving part of my meal on my plate; I would eat smaller meals and still be satisfied. I had a little tickle in my throat and I coughed occasionally. I didn’t doze off like I had in the first two sessions. But when it was over, once again I felt great! Not euphoric, but positive and confident and refreshed. And I noticed something odd this week… I ate out a couple times and each time I looked down at my plate and realized I had put down my fork after eating exactly half of my entrée. Freaky! My efforts are still far from perfect, but I don’t expect ever to be perfect. My habits have improved tremendously and I feel great about it. And that positive feeling just feeds into continuing more of the same.

This coming Sunday is the final hypnosis session, where it will be suggested that I had gastric band surgery. I’ve already seen so many differences in my habits with the first three sessions; I wonder how much of a difference the last session will make. Stay tuned!



FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.

Gastric Mind Band Therapy, Session 2

Last Sunday was my second Gastric Mind Band Therapy (GMBT) session.  It's been a busy, busy week and I can't believe it's Friday already and I'm just now posting about it.  But that works out just fine because now I can tell you how the session has helped me over the last week.
During the first GMBT session my therapist, Julie Gibson, did an in-depth interview with me to determine where I've been, where I want to go and the best way to help me get there.  The hypnosis that we finished the first session with addressed just that: what my life will be like if I continue on the path I am on, and what is waiting for me if I change my habits for the better.

I noticed in the week after the first session that my interest in fast food waned considerably and when I had an opportunity to be a little active, I had a little pep in my step.  My weight gain halted and I actually lost almost 2 lbs.

The second GMBT session was on a Sunday, like the one before.  Julie had given me a homework assignment geared toward addressing my motivations, my attitude about my body and resolving some emotional baggage.  We had a long talk at the beginning of this second session, just like at the first one.  We talked about the times in my life when I am more likely to hit the drive-through or overeat or over-indulge: usually when I am stressed or frustrated or very very busy.  We talked about why that was, and about how to handle those situations more constructively, as far as continuing weight loss.  I established a goal weight, which is the 125 lbs that I maintained for over five years, only to start this crazy weight-gain five years ago.  We discussed a goal outfit but I wasn't able to pick one that I really had my heart set on and could picture.  I've been thinking about it this week and might have one for this coming Sunday's session.

Julie gave me a book with calorie, fat and carbohydrate counts for lots of common foods and for many restaurants.  I've used it a few times this week, just to help me be aware of the decisions I'm making.  GMBT is not designed to require you to count calories or points or anything, but to help you make healthy decisions every day, meal after meal.  She also discussed Dr. Daniel Amen's book Change Your Brain, Change Your Body and lent me a copy to read this week.  I'm working on it.  It's an interesting read and makes alot of sense.

We finished this session with hypnosis, which we will be doing in every session.  This time Julie handed me a small black box to hold in each hand, each with a wire going to some small contraption.  She said it was for another specific kind therapy.  The boxes buzz for a few seconds, alternating between the one in one and and the other, and the purpose is to engage both the left brain and right brain in the process.  After the initial relaxation exercise, she talked about my goal, about how some of my weaknesses (hello fancy sugary coffee beverages) are counterproductive to these efforts, about making healthy choices and losing one to two lbs per week to get to my goal, and then she moved into the other portion of this hypnosis session.  She activated the little boxes I was holding, and they started vibrating gently.  She talked about stressful or emotional situations and how they were not going to affect the healthy choices I was making.  I actually have no idea how long the hypnosis sessions last.  I know I dozed off occasionally.  When we finished, once again I was so refreshed and relaxed; I felt wonderful.

I will tell you, I haven't weighed myself yet but this week I have noticed some serious differences in my habits.  Aside from my morning coffee, I rarely want coffee later in the day.  I will think "Maybe I'll make another pot of coffee" after dinner, and then I'll think "I really just want some water."  I've been drinking water and bringing my lunch to work almost every day.  I will have a snack and I won't feel bad about it, but instead of picking up a caramel frappe and a McDouble at McDonald's, I might break out a pear and some peanut butter, or have a snack-size candy bar if  I really want something sweet.  I've been in bed by 10:30 p.m. almost every night and can tell a real difference in my energy levels with consistent sufficient sleep.  All in all, I haven't weighed yet so I have no idea if I've lost any weight this week, but I've been making good decision after good decision.  And it's been easy.  It's as if a little health-fairy is perched on my shoulder, whispering the right choices in my ear.  Don't get me wrong, if I want to make bad decisions nothing is going to keep me from it.  But it is so much easier to make the healthier decision.

My second to last GMBT session is in two days, on Sunday again.  I can't wait to see the changes that will follow this next session. 

Have a great weekend!

FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.

Gastric Mind Band Therapy, Session 1

This past Sunday was my first Gastric Mind Band Therapy session. Let’s just call it GMBT and save me some typing. It was wonderful! I felt so relaxed and positive afterwards.

When I arrived, Julie invited me into her cozy office. We sat in comfy chairs and she shared information about GMBT. She utilizes several different kinds of therapy, including hypnotherapy, to help address behaviors and underlying emotional issues that impede weight loss. She described the hypnotherapy as a way re-program your subconscious mind into accepting healthier behaviors.  Then she asked lots of questions while she filled out a questionnaire. She asked about my childhood, adolescence, family, and relationships. She also asked about my relationship with food and exercise, my current habits with both of those, what I have weighed in the past and what my goals are for this process. I found myself really opening up and being honest, both with myself and with her. It was cathartic. I’ve been looking forward to starting this process for a couple weeks and I gave myself over to it, committed completely.

When she talked about the GMBT process, I was surprised to hear you can eat whatever you want. She emphasizes that no food is off limits, you are just encouraged to make healthier choices and control the portions, eating only when you are hungry. You can have dessert, you just should be able to eat a little of it and then move on. I liked it when she explained that you don’t have to finish a dish, either. Once you’re full, you can either get rid of it or put it away for later. That cookie you’re eating is not the last cookie you will ever have. You can have another one at another time. So there’s no need to shovel it in and then eat four of its friends!

After the discussion and the questions, Julie invited me into a separate room with a big comfy lounge chair right in the center. The lights were low and one wall was covered with a huge beach scene. Hypnosis time! I have to be honest, I’ve always wanted to be hypnotized. I sat back in the chair and Julie perched at a small desk beside me. Music played and she began the hypnosis session. First she talked me through a relaxation exercise: she instructed me to relax my feet, then my ankles, etc., until she had talked about my entire body. I felt heavy and sleepy; I may have drooled. Then she started with visualization. She talked about a path in a garden filled with flowers, lush green lawns, all this sloping down to a short set of steps that led to a beach. At the beach there were two paths, one that symbolized my current habits and one that symbolized the positive new habits I want to form. She discussed my motivations, and what my life would be like if I traveled down either path. I know I dozed off a couple times. I missed some of it. I asked her later if that meant it wouldn’t work and she said not at all; that just meant I was in a deep trance. When she concluded the hypnosis session I felt relaxed and positive and all kinds of good. I was kind of disappointed it was over. Before I left she gave me a notebook and wrote down two homework assignments for me: one is a letter to my body about what I want for it, and the other is regarding some personal baggage that I’ll spare you. We also took my “before” pictures. Wow. Talk about the cold hard truth. You guys won’t be seeing those until I have some “after” or at least “along the way” pictures to share as well. Yikes!

I’ll have three more sessions, and Julie records all four of them. She'll give me the recordings when we’re done with the therapy, and if I ever find myself falling back into bad habits I can listen to them alone at home and give myself a “tune-up.”

After only one session, I’ve already noticed a tendency to make better choices about food. Last night I had a chance to have fast food for dinner and I opted for fruit, cheese and some hard salami instead. I’m not making ALL good choices (hello, McDonald’s caramel frappe!) but I’m still doing a lot better than I was before the session. I hope to see even more improvements as we complete more therapy sessions. My next session is this coming Sunday, and I am still pumped about the process! And tomorrow I have my yearly physical. I’m glad that it was scheduled for right when I’m starting GMBT, so after next year’s physical, hopefully I’ll have some positive changes to share with you.


FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.

New Sponsor!

Hey everybody, please give a warm welcome to our newest... and first... sponsor: Julie Gibson of http://www.julietherapy.com/!  You will see a link to her website above the top post on this blog. 

Julie is a licensed clinical social worker who provides individual, couples, play and family therapies.  In addition, she is one of six individuals in the United States who is certified to perform Gastric Mind Band Therapy.  What is Gastric Mind Band Therapy?  To oversimplify it, you are hypnotized into thinking you've had gastric band surgery, the procedure where a band is placed around your stomach to reduce its size and aide in weight loss.  With Gastric Mind Band Therapy you have the assistance in weight loss this procedure provides, but none of the surgical risks.  For more information about this therapy, see Julie's website, listed above, or http://www.gmbandusa.com/. 

I have signed up for the therapy and had my first of the four sessions yesterday.  Stay tuned in the coming weeks and months to hear about the experience and hopefully witness my progress!

FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge. 

Not Today

Life intervened and I won't be able to put up a post today about my first Gastric Mind Band Therapy session.  I will post it soon, I promise!  But I did get hypnotized in the first session and it was very cool.  And this morning when I was walking out the barn to make sure the dogs would have water, it was early and still dark and I started to give a mental groan... and then a thought popped into my head: "I love being active!" And I had a pep in my step throughout the rest of my chores, hauling water out to the barn, taking the dogs out there.  Awesome!

Have a fab day.

FTC disclaimer: Since I am blogging about the experience, the service is being provided at no charge.

Oh Yeah, I’m Gonna Get Hypnotized!

If you’ve been around my blog for a while you’ve probably figured out that if I don’t post for over a week, odds are I am off-plan and getting fatter. Which is what is happening right now.

I’ve been struggling with this weight gain for about 5 years. I’ll try something, lose some weight, stick with it for a while, then I’ll let something throw me off track. Then I get discouraged. Then I get lazy. Then I get fatter. The lesson? Maybe I need some help.

I saw something online a while back about Gastric Mind Band Therapy. My understanding is that you’re hypnotized into thinking you’ve had gastric band surgery, and so are able to experience the help it can give you in weight loss, without the risk inherent in any surgical procedure. There are several different kinds of therapy involved: Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Hypnotherapy and Guided Imagery. The treatment consists of four sessions, and during the fourth session you are hypnotized into thinking you’ve had the surgery.

The treatment originated in a clinic in Spain and has since spread. Now there are six therapists in the United States who are licensed to perform the therapy, and one happens to be in Kansas City: Julie Gibson. I told her I wanted to be her Gastric Mind Band poster-girl. She said “Great!” I will be blogging about the experience and results, and the service will be provided to me for free (hello, FTC). So everyone give a big hand for Julie! And check out her website at http://www.julietherapy.com/. Julie is a licensed clinical social worker. Per her website she specializes in individual, couples and family therapy, play therapy, and Gastric Mind Band Therapy.

I know there is no magic pill for weight loss. I know it takes time and dedication. I just want some help. And I think I’ve found it! My first session is this Sunday, and I can’t wait to get started.