Foiled by the FDA

FDA Bans Homeopathic HCG Diet Products

The Food and Drug Administration took a stand against Homeopathic HCG (H- HCG) diet products. See their press announcement here. HCG Diet protocols differ slightly according to the company marketing each individual product. However, the common program involves taking H- HCG while following a very low calorie diet of 500 calories per day.

The FDA categorized HCG as a drug and stated HCG was not approved as a treatment for weight loss. They said the products and diet plans were likely dangerous. The FTC partnered with the FDA in the ban, citing the prevalence of deceptive advertising in the weight-loss market.

I lost 30 lbs on the H- HCG Diet. I was rarely hungry, had increased energy and experienced no adverse side effects. I’m disappointed it won’t be available any longer. I considered buying a few more bottles of HCG drops and continuing the diet while my supply lasted, but that seemed stupid in light of the FDA’s warnings. I have to change to a different diet sooner or later and I might as well get a head start on the next one. So, I’m foiled by the FDA. And I'm back to the drawing board. Low-carb, anyone?

My Favorite Low-Carb Breakfast... Mmmm Eggs And Cheese!

Easy peasy.  Spray non-stick cooking spray in a microwave-safe bowl.  Crack three eggs into the bowl.  Don't be like me... remember to pierce the yolks so they don't explode on you later.  Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream over the eggs and lay 3 or 4 ounces worth of cheese on top. I like to slice pieces of a good slab of mild cheddar into my eggs.  Sprinkle salt, pepper and dried dill over the top.  Do not stir this at any point, it's not necessary.  Somehow the cream and eggs combine into a cross between a souffle (that didn't rise) and an omelet. 

Cover with waxed paper and microwave for two minutes.  If it's runny, microwave at 30 second increments until it's no longer runny.  Allow it to cool for a few minutes and then dig in.

Shrimp And Spinach Soup With Cilantro And Lime

This soup is fat-free, low-carb and my new favorite for Phase Two of the HCG Diet.  If you're on Phase Three or Atkin's, start out by sauteing the garlic in a pat of butter.  Then add the broth and go from there.

Ingredients (one serving):

1 cup broth (I used salt-free chicken broth because I didn't have any veggie broth on-hand)
1 garlic clove
1 lime
100 g frozen shrimp
3 cups spinach, chopped
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Blend
salt and pepper

Crush and chop the garlic clove and saute it in the broth.  Add the shrimp and juice the lime into pan.  Let the shrimp warm up, then add the spinach and seasoning to taste.  Once the shrimp is heated through and the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

I like my flavors bold and bright.  If you don't, you might want to halve the amount of lime juice and cilantro. 

This soup is a snap to make but no one has to know.  Serve it at a family dinner and tell them you spent hours in the kitchen.  For a non-dieting crowd, saute the garlic in butter as a first step, reduce the amount of broth, skip the spinach, and serve over brown rice.  And don't forget to give them some healthy veggies on the side.

Dear Dairy

Flickr - redeye^

I'm five days into Round Two, Phase Two of the HCG Diet and finally hit the 20 lb mark, yay!  I lost 18 lbs on Round One and had really wanted to get to 20.  It's a good milestone.

When you're in Phase Two you only have one tablespoon of milk per day and no other dairy products.  In Phase Three you add dairy back into your diet.  I noticed I felt great in Phase Two of Round One, and then when I added dairy back in Phase Three I felt a little sluggish and struggled with some nausea.  And phlegm, yuck.  Now that I'm back in Phase Two with no dairy, once again I feel great!  Dammit, I love cream in my coffee and cheese in my.... well, cheese in everything.  But I may have to think about going easy on the dairy products from now on.  Forever, sigh.  Or just know that if I want cream in my coffee, I'll pay the price by feeling a little crappy.  Boo.   

Starting Round Two of HCG Diet

I just started my second round of the HCG diet and I'm pumped!  I did phase 1 for three days instead of two since I was on the road all day Monday.  I felt like crap, eating all those carbs and processed foods after eating so cleanly for the last six weeks.  I was tired and nauseas.... I'm feeling better now as I start phase 2 and I can't wait to get on the scale every morning!

My HCG Experience

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.

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.