HCG: Week Seven

Well, we made it. Sarah and I survived 49 days of the 500-calorie hCG diet.

We made good progress toward our ultimate weight goals, losing far more poundage in that short period than I'd thought was possible.

I lost 35.6 lbs and Sarah lost 33.6 lbs!

Not bad, considering that Dr. Simeons's protocol states that dieters are not to lose more than 34 lbs during the 40 days of the diet. Calories must be increased and the hCG discontinued if the dieter reaches 34 lbs lost before the end of the diet. He does go on to say that severely obese patients may lose up to 40 lbs in the 40 days, so I guess I'm okay!

I like to graph my results when I diet seriously, and I've had some good graphs in the past.

But I've never had one that fell as far and as fast as this one did! It is most satisfying!

Today we started the maintenance period. We aren't supposed to gain more than 2 lbs or lose more than 2 lbs for the next 6 weeks.

I'm a little nervous about that.

Dr. Simeons says the maintenance period gives your hypothalamus time to reset to a lower weight set-point.

I say it gives me 6 weeks to enjoy food again and stop feeling hungry all the time!

For the first 3 weeks of this period, you can eat healthy fats, proteins, and vegetables, but no starches (bread, rice, potatoes, yams, corn, baked goods) and no sugars, including fruit. It's basically the Induction level of Dr. Atkins's diet. I can do that easily!

The second 3 weeks is when you gradually add back starches and fruits. After the full 6 weeks you can go back to eating normally, unless you decide to do another cycle of the 40-day hCG diet. Sarah and I plan to start the diet again sometime in early February.

Meanwhile, I'm going to savor eating my favorite foods again!

It was ecstasy to eat 2 eggs fried in butter this morning. I felt decadent melting sliced cheese on my burger patty at lunch.

At dinner Sarah and I relished the olive oil and vinegar on this salad of lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, tomato, red onion, cucumber, celery and radish...all mixed together at once!

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We went crazy with vegetables!

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So are you ready for the before and after pictures?

The photo at right was taken before school on Friday, October 30th, the day before Halloween. I think I look tired. I usually was.

We started the hCG drops that morning, and then we started the 500-calorie diet 2 days later, on Sunday, November 1st. You have to wait 2 days for the hCG to be well established before you begin the diet.

Likewise, we finished our drops on Thursday but we continued the 500-calorie diet until today because you must give the hCG 3 days to cycle out of your body.

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And this was taken this afternoon, 7 weeks later and 35 lbs lighter. I feel so much better!

On Wednesday I tried on my old pants, size 16, and they fit me! Sadly, 46 lbs ago I was wearing size 22/24.

If I lose just 45 more lbs, I'll weigh less than I've ever weighed at any time since high school (1972)!

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We didn't do a "before" photo of Sarah, but here's one that was taken at Meteor Crater on October 10th, 3 weeks before we began the diet.

She hated how she looked then.*

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And here she is today, almost 34 lbs lighter. I love to see how she feels so much better about herself now.

Her pants have gotten so baggy on her that they literally keep falling down!

We still have a long row to hoe. Ultimately, I'd like to lose 50 lbs more and Sarah would like to lose at least 90 lbs more, but at least now we've found a method to make those goals attainable.

That's a great feeling!