Maintenance: Week One

Our first week off the hCG/500-calorie diet has been completed, and it has been a learning experience.

I was worried about staying within the "don't gain more than 2 lbs/don't lose more than 2 lbs" limits for 6 weeks. As it turns out, it's a valid concern, particularly during the week before Christmas!

The week began well enough...

Day 1: No gain or loss

Day 2: 0.8 lb gain

Day 3: 0.4 lb loss

Sarah did even better. She lost 2.6 more lbs during the first 3 days off the diet.

Then came Wednesday. Jacob decided to make one of my favorite foods, chicken enchiladas in green chile sauce. The rules say NO starches or sugars for the first 3 weeks, but I bought low-carb tortillas and told myself it would be okay. I also taste-tested several hand-dipped pretzels that night, plus some banana pieces dipped in leftover chocolate.

The next morning I was up 2.8 lbs! Sarah was up 1.6 lbs.

We reined it in for Christmas Eve, but we had planned to cheat on Christmas day, sort of like we did on Thanksgiving. I ate a couple of small cookies and candies (pre-Christmas gifts from friends), plus 5 pieces of my all-time favorite, English toffee. Our dinner was exactly the same as Thanksgiving dinner, except no candied yams this time, and I ate lightly. I did indulge in peach pie for dessert.

Yes, I was baaaad!

The next morning I was up another 1.2 lbs, putting me 4.8 lbs above my lowest weight from Sunday and Monday.

I was kicking myself and thinking, "You worked so hard for this! What, are you crazy?"

Fortunately, Dr. Simeons had worked out a solution for this situation. I reread the final chapters of his book, Pounds and Inches, to make sure I got it right.

I quote: "As long as their weight stays within two pounds of the weight reached on the day of the last injection [of hCG], patients should take no notice of any increase, but the moment the scale goes beyond two pounds, even if this is only a few ounces, they must on that same day entirely skip breakfast and lunch but take plenty to drink. In the evening they must eat a huge steak with only an apple or a raw tomato."

I had already expected I'd have to try this method the day after Christmas dinner, but the words I typed in bold letters leapt out at me. I was thinking I'd gained 4.8 lbs, but that was incorrect. I had actually lost 2.2 lbs after I stopped the hCG (but while still on the 500-calorie diet). Apparently that is unusual. Most people quit losing as soon as they stop the hCG.

That meant I was only 2.6 lbs over my weight on the day I stopped the hCG. That made me feel much better! I only had to take off 0.6 lb in order to stay within the 2-lb boundary.

As I said, it's been a learning experience. Yesterday I did the all-day fast followed by steak and a raw tomato, and this morning I had lost the 1.2 lbs gained on the previous day! Sarah has stayed within the 2-lb range, but she decided to try the fast-and-steak method with me. She had gained 1.4 lbs on Christmas day, and this morning she was back down exactly 1.4 lbs. Amazing!

So it seems at this point that Sarah and I are maintaining, even if we broke some rules and came dangerously close to blowing it.

For those who are wondering about the claim that the hCG diet changes your relationship with food, the jury is still out. I do see some positive changes, but the whole Christmas goodies theme has made it difficult to judge.

I cannot deny that I am loving eating the foods I missed during the diet.

Oddly, what I'm enjoying most is being able to eat eggs for breakfast again. To me, this spinach, cheese, and red onion omelet is heavenly!

Yet I haven't indulged myself as much as I'd expected I would after 7 weeks of deprivation.

I find I'm satisfied with less food and not inclined to want to snack. (The inability to resist Christmas sweets falls into another category, I think...)

When I sat down to Christmas dinner, I looked down at the small portions on my plate and thought, "I don't want this." And I didn't. I left food uneaten, but my belly still felt like it would burst!

So maybe there is a change. We still have 5 weeks of maintenance left to find out!