Round Two

I guess you could say our 2-day gorge-fest was successful.  I've gained 4.6 lbs in 2 short days.  Sarah gained 7.0 and Jacob gained 2.8.  I hate seeing these numbers on the scale again, but it is necessary for overall success.  Plus I know from experience that those extra pounds will come off in the first 2-3 days of the 500-calorie diet.

You may have noticed I mentioned my 18-year-old son Jacob.  He has decided to join us this time.  Jacob is a broad-shouldered, 6-foot-tall, high school senior who carries his weight very well, but he'd like to lose about 30 lbs to achieve a healthier BMI.  We will share his journey in this blog, as well.
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I charted another weight graph, this one showing my success with the 6 weeks of maintenance that are required between the 40-day cycles of hCG.  The red dotted line in the center indicates my weight on my last day of the hCG drops.  The yellow band surrounding the red dotted line is the 4-lb range I needed to stay within, neither gaining nor losing more than 2 lbs.  My weight fluctuated wildly within the yellow range, but obviously it was inclined to rise toward the top of the band. 

Thank goodness for Dr. Simeons's "steak day" method to bring the weight down each time it climbed back to the top.  At the bottom of the chart I've highlighted my 5 steak days in yellow.  At the very end, the final 2 "gorge" days are highlighted in pink.  My weight took quite a jump there for yesterday and today, but not to worry.  It's all part of the plan and will pay off in the end. 

As anticipated, our gorging days were both pleasurable and uncomfortable.  On Friday morning we began with biscuits and gravy.  For lunch, Sarah had a sub sandwich and Jacob had pizza pockets.  I had a fairly healthy tuna sandwhich on whole wheat bread, but we all ate lots of Lay's potato chips on the side.  The kids had pizza for dinner while I had a grilled breast from KFC--along with corn on the cob and mashed potatoes and gravy. 

The main idea is to eat plenty of fats, so we were generous with butter, olive oil, mayonnaise, and gravy (meat drippings).
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Dylan graciously offered to make pancakes for everyone on Saturday morning (above photo).  Dylan is my 12-year-old with the perfect BMI (body mass index) of 18-point-something.  He is the same height as me (5'5") but weighs 90 lbs less.  He'll probably never need this diet.

I like pancakes, but I prefer French toast (swimming in butter, not syrup), so I opted for that with hash browns and hot cocoa with a dollop of heavy cream instead (at right).  In the end, I gave Jacob almost half my hash browns, and I didn't quite finish the French toast, either.

On Friday I never felt stuffed, but after yesterday's breakfast I was groaning. 

We decided against going out to lunch at the Chinese buffet because we were all too full to enjoy it.  For lunch  I forced down a burger patty with melted cheese and homemade potato salad. 

Last night's dinner was fried taquitos with homemade chunky guacamole and sour cream, and deep-fried french fries on the side.  And then dessert: chocolate lava cakes with chocolate fudge brownie ice cream.

I never eat like this.  Yesterday I felt sick, sluggish, and tired all day.  Talk about your basic carb crash!  It was a relief to start the diet today, just as I knew it would be.

By the way, in anticipation of the upcoming holiday, we had an early Valentines Day. 

On Monday I gave my children little heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and I bought myself a small box of pecan delights (and gave half to the kids).  Now we won't feel like we're missing out when Valentines Day arrives.  (Jacob threw his box away, so it didn't get into the picture.)

As of this morning we've started our second cycle of the 500-calorie diet.  To contrast today's menu with the way we've eaten for the past 2 days:

10:30  Melba toast and an orange

12:00  3.5 oz. burger patty (93% lean) and a small tomato

4:30    Melba toast and a sugar-free Jello cup

6:30    Chicken fajitas (with 3.5 oz. chicken breast and a small onion)

8:00    A Granny Smith apple for dessert

Slightly less than 500 calories, and I'm done eating for the day!

Keep in mind that we started the hCG drops on Friday morning.  By today, the hCG hormone should be effectively circulating in our bodies, releasing the abnormal fat which our metabolisms will burn up due to our very low calorie diet.

It is recommended that the homeopathic drops be stored at room temperature away from bright light.  Also, do not take the drops immediately before or after eating or drinking anything.  Wait at least 10 minutes between food/drink and the hCG drops, and vice versa.

How much hCG is recommended?  Dr. Simeons set the amount at 125 units per day (and never more than 200 units, or weight loss seems to stop).  Apparently in the homeopathic drops that translates to 1 cc or 1 mL.  Some folks I know were instructed to take a certain number of drops, about 12, three times per day.  My provider gave me a tiny syringe dropper and said to take .35 cc three times daily.

Out of curiosity, each time I took a dose of hCG, I tried putting 12 drops in a little container and sucking it up with my syringe.  I was amazed at how inconsistent the drops were.  When I measured them in the syringe, the amount ranged from .30 to .42 cc!  Not very accurate!  

So my recommendation is to find a small syringe or dropper that holds only 1 cc or 1 mL of liquid, with marks measuring it in tenths or less.  The only syringes/droppers I can find for sale so far are too large for our purposes, but I did get a smaller one by asking a pharmacist at Walgreens.  He gave me one out of a drawer behind the counter, for free.  Don't be afraid to ask!

Regarding my continual hunger during the first cycle of hCG, some people recommended I try taking more drops.  For anyone considering this, do not exceed .50 cc/mL or you'll risk stopping the weight loss, as Dr. Simeons warned.  I'm thinking I may try taking .40 or .42 cc three times a day this time, though I haven't yet done so, to see if that will help quell the hunger.  

Don't worry if you feel a bit tired during the first week; I understand that can be normal.  However, that wasn't an issue for Sarah or me.  Even if you feel great (and you soon will), be cautious in exercise.  Dr. Simeons encouraged swimming and walking, but heavy-duty workouts should be avoided unless you are extremely fit and already used to such a regimen.  

And NO massages!  (I wish I could afford one...)  Dr. Simeons was firm on this point.  To understand why, please refer to his book, Pounds and Inches.    

Finally, the doctor recommends taking only the most necessary of medications during the 40-day diet.  He okays birth control (remember, hCG is also used to treat infertility), vitamins, calcium, and pain pills like Advil and Tylenol, as long as they are sugar-free and oil-free.  He suggests discontinuing thyroid supplements (unless your own thyroid does not operate at all) and avoiding laxatives, diuretics, and hormones.  And there are no restrictions on salt; just don't use more than you ordinarily do. 

During my previous hCG diet, I took a multi-vitamin, CoQ10 in an oil base, blood pressure medicine containing a diuretic, and a low-dose thyroid medication, and I still lost 35 lbs.  I also chewed sugar-free gum.  Again, the difference may be the homeopathic drops versus the injections.

And now, here we are, poised on the edge of a new weight-loss adventure.  I can't wait to see how well we do this time!