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! 

HCG: Planning Stages

Sarah and I have almost completed the 6 weeks of maintenance after our first 40-day cycle of the hCG diet.  We've managed to stay within the guideline of neither gaining nor losing 2 lbs beyond our weights on the final day of the hCG drops.  Well, we occasionally went as much as half a pound over the limit, but regular "steak days," as prescribed by Dr. Simeons, helped us bring those gains instantly back in check. 

Now we are back at the starting gate.  Five days from now, Sarah and I will begin our second 40-day cycle of the hCG diet.  And, while I don't look forward to the restricted 500-calorie diet, I am totally psyched about losing another 30 or so pounds in just 40 days!  That's because I know: It works!

Here are some tips and important facts for those who may be interested in joining us on this weight-loss journey.

1)  Prepare mentally. 

Honestly, I'm not sure if I could have endured this diet the first time if I hadn't been so desperate to bring down my blood pressure and get off half my prescriptions (I was successful on both counts, far sooner than I'd thought possible).  I'm an emotional eater, and suddenly being reduced to such tiny amounts of food was quite a shock. 

On the other hand, my daughter Sarah is also an impulsive, emotional eater and she had no trouble at all adjusting to the diet.  She immediately enjoyed the hCG hormone effect described by most dieters: no hunger, feeling comfortably full all day, to the point that 500 calories often seems like too much food.  Imagine!

I can't imagine.  I did not get that effect, and I was mildly hungry all day, every day, with few exceptions.  I've read hundreds of blogs and thousands of testimonials, and I've personally spoken to more than a dozen people who've lost a lot of weight on this diet.  I am the only one who felt hungry.  I finally found a website that explained the phenomenon as something that sometimes, though rarely, happens to women in perimenopause.  Lucky me.

The important things to keep in mind are these: I was mildly hungry, not ravenously, and the pounds kept falling off.  I learned to endure the hunger because the weight loss was so rewarding.  This time I am prepared.  So be ready for anything, but remember it is all totally worth it!

2)  Read the book.

It isn't absolutely necessary, but I recommend reading Pounds and Inches, by the late ATW Simeons, MD.  He developed the hCG diet protocol and he's the expert.  The entire manuscript can be found on many online sites, some of which can be downloaded.  Below is the one I use.

http://hcgdietinfo.com/HCG_Diet_Simeons_Manuscript.htm 

3)  Obtain your hCG.

If you live in my area, I can give you contact information for several distributors.  If not, I recommend asking around.  Seek out other dieters, talk to people in health food stores, ask your health care professionals, check online distributors.  I have seen prices ranging from $68 to $10 per bottle, for the exact same product from the same suppliers, so shop around.  You may have to wait a few weeks for their next shipment.

One bottle will last slightly more than 3 weeks, so expect to use 2 bottles for a 40-day cycle.

For those who need to lose only 5 to 15 pounds, there is the shorter option of a 26-day cycle, which requires only 23 days of the hCG hormone.  Dr. Simeons stresses the importance of completing the entire 26 days, even if the desired weight is lost sooner.  If the dieter quits before that time, the weight will inevitably be regained.

You will also need to decide whether to use once-a-day, injectible hCG hormone, or the 3-times-per-day homeopathic drops.  Some folks swear by the injections, which was the only method available in Dr. Simeons's day.  Others feel the drops are more effective since they are absorbed into the bloodstream throughout the day.  The drops are sublingual, meaning they are absorbed under the tongue.

All I can say is, Sarah and I used the drops with huge success.  In fact, last week I told the owner of our local health food store how much weight we had lost, and she was astounded.  Linda has seen many, many hCG-dieters, and she said there is a definite difference in the amount of weight lost between those on injections and those on drops, with the drops being the clear winner.

Having read Dr. Simeons's book several times, I suspect he would have embraced the homeopathic drops if they'd been developed in his lifetime.  He had to be so strict with his patients about tiny details, like not allowing lipstick or lotions or makeup because the extra fats were absorbed and interfered with weight loss.  I didn't cut back on any of those things, yet I still lost weight easily.  Also, the injections must be discontinued during the menstrual cycle, but the drops do not.  I had no PMS symptoms, plus I continued to lose weight during my entire period.  Finally, there are issues with developing immunity to the injectible hCG hormone, but there is some evidence that this is less of a problem with the drops.

4)  Decide on dates to begin the hCG and the diet.

 

For our first cycle, Sarah and I began the drops on Friday morning and the 500-calorie diet on Sunday morning.  That worked well for us, so we plan to do the same this week.  You will not start the hCG and the diet on the same day, since the hormone needs at least 48 hours to circulate into the body and become effective.

Ladies, plan to begin the day after your period, or at least 10 days before you expect your next period to start.

Here is the strange part: During those first 2 days on the hCG, it is important to eat as many fatty foods as you can stand.  Dr. Simeons called it "gorging" or "forced feeding."  As odd as it seems, it is an important step in ensuring success on the diet.  Not only that, but if you have recently been trying to lose weight by strictly following a low-fat or low-calorie diet, you need to gorge for a whole week before you begin the hCG.

I'll let the good doctor explain it to you himself.  Here is an exerpt from his book:

"One cannot keep a patient comfortably on 500 Calories unless his normal fat reserves are reasonably well stocked.  It is for this reason that also every case, even those that are actually gaining, must eat to capacity of the most fattening food they can get down until they have had the third injection.  ...eat frequently of highly concentrated foods such as milk chocolate, pastries with whipped cream and sugar, fried meats (particularly pork), eggs and bacon, mayonnaise, bread with thick butter and jam, etc."

On our first cycle, Sarah and I gorged for the first 2 days and we gained a few pounds.  However, we lost it all and then some within the first 2 days on the diet.

Gorging sounds fun, doesn't it?  It isn't as easy as you think.  Sarah and I were so sick after the first day, we could barely make ourselves eat on the second day.  We weren't even able to eat everything we'd planned.  By the time we started the diet, we were ready!  I admit, we are having fun planning a gorge of our favorite forbidden foods for this weekend--biscuits and gravy, French toast, hash browns, Hersheys chocolate, Lays potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, lunch at a Chinese restaurant, sub sandwich, pizza, fried chicken, potato salad, doughnuts, chocolate lava cake--but in reality we know we're going to be miserable and, in the end, anxious to start the diet. 

5)  Plan at least one week of menus.

Stock your pantry with the fruits and vegetables you plan to eat; buy a box (or several boxes) of melba toast; and pre-cut then freeze your 100-gram proteins.  Those resealable plastic snack-size bags are a perfect fit for the tiny little cuts of meat.  I also kept sugar-free jello cups on hand.

Here are the diet options, again from Dr. Simeons's book:

"Breakfast:  Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar.  Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours.  Saccharin or Stevia may be used.

"Lunch:  1. 100 grams of veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp.  All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw.  It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat.  Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed.  The chicken breast must be removed from the bird.

                2.  One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage.

                3.  One breadstick (grissino) or one Melba toast.

                4.  An apple or an orange or a handful of strawberries or one-half grapefruit.

"Dinner:  The same four choices as lunch.

"The juice of one lemon daily is allowed for all purposes.  Salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, etc, may be used for seasoning, but no oil, butter, or dressing.

"Tea, coffee, plain water, or mineral water are the only drinks allowed, but they may be taken in any quantity and at all times.  In fact, the patient should drink about 2 liters of these fluids per day.

"The fruit or breadstick may be eaten between meals instead of with lunch or dinner, but not more than four items listed for lunch and dinner may be eaten at one meal.  There is no objection to breaking up the two meals.  For instance, having a breadstick and an apple for breakfast or before going to bed, provided they are deducted from the regular meals.  The whole daily ration of two breadsticks or two fruits may not be eaten at the same time, nor can any item saved from the previous day be added to the following day.

"It should also be mentioned that two small apples weighing as much as one large one neverthless have a higher caloric value and are therefore not allowed, though there is no restriction on the size of one apple.  ...chicken breast does not mean the breast of any other fowl nor does it mean a wing or drumstick."

I have never found any of the grissino (Italian breadsticks) he refers to, so we do the melba toast (taste is similar to cardboard).  We buy the largest apples and oranges we can get our hands on.  Do not choose the same fruit, the same vegetable, or the same meat for both meals.  He especially cautions against having beef twice in one day.  We lived on lean steaks, 93% lean ground beef, chicken breast, tilapia (white fish), shrimp, and ground turkey/chicken breast.  Ground turkey breast is not on the approved list, but it didn't hamper our weight loss efforts at all.

Do not mix your fruits or vegetables at the same meal.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I believe it matters.  I know another group doing the hCG diet, but they are enjoying foods like mixed green salads and apple slices with strawberry sauce.  Sounds yummy, but Sarah and I lost twice as much weight as anyone in that diet group by sticking with Dr. Simeons's original protocol. 

And, by all means, do drink plenty of water and other fluids.  I've never had a problem with constipation, but when I began getting careless about my water intake, I had some uncomfortable days.  After drastically increasing my fluids, the problem went away.  Dr. Simeons discourages the use of laxatives and states that one small bowel movement every 3 or 4 days is perfectly normal during the diet, given the small amount of food going into the body.

6)  Begin!

Begin taking the hCG and start your 2-day gorge, or begin with a week-long gorge if your normal fat supplies are low from extended, strict low-fat dieting.

I will be back next weekend to report on the end of our 6-week maintenance phase and the start of our second hCG cycle.  Until then, good luck on your own journey!

Maintenance: Midway

The first 3 weeks of our 6-week maintenance period are over.

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This was the period when we weren't to eat starches or sugars. We haven't been perfect and we haven't always liked the number on the scale. We've done "steak days" (eating nothing all day except a "huge" steak with an apple or raw tomato for dinner) once a week to keep our weight within the prescribed 2-lb range (up or down).
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It's been a roller coaster ride.

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In the end, I think we've mostly been successful.

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The day we left for Mesa (New Years Eve), during the second week of maintenance, I was less than a pound above my target weight (what I weighed on my final day of the hCG drops). I was within the 2-lb plus or minus range, which is good. I had armed myself with sugar-free treats for the coming parties and dutifully packed up my bathroom scales for use in the hotel room, as prescribed by Dr. Simeons, but I was still nervous.

The next morning I was 2.2 lbs above my target weight, putting me one-fifth of a pound above the upper limit! It may have been travel bloat, but it was worrisome. So I was extra-diligent in avoiding sugary treats and ordering my fast food burgers without a bun. By the time we returned home, I was actually half a pound lighter than the day we left! Since the next day was Fast Sunday in church anyway, I did a steak day and lost 1.2 lbs more, putting me almost a pound below my target weight.

Week 3 was back-to-work week. I figured it would be easier to maintain once I was back on a schedule. As if! The first 2 days were fine, but over the course of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I gained back 3 lbs! However, I tried not to panic. I was still less than 2 lbs over the target, I was eating right, and I reminded myself that stress contributes to weight gain, too, thanks to the stress hormone cortisol. It was a very stressful week at work. And who knows how my crazed menopausal hormones are affecting me? Relax...relax...

By Saturday morning, 1.4 lbs had dropped back off, and I did another steak day. As of this morning I am again 1.6 lbs below my target weight.

Actually, I think the whole concept of being required to maintain your new weight for a prescribed period of time is a great idea. And not simply because it gives your hypothalamus time to reset to your new weight. I think it's been emotionally healthy to accept the new weight and step back from the single-minded pursuit of weight loss.

I wish I had done this when I lost a lot of weight in the past. Then maybe I wouldn't have regained the weight so easily. When I would get within 20 lbs of my goal weight and hit a plateau, I would become so discouraged that I would eventually give up and the pounds would creep back on little by little over the next few years. How crazy is that? Instead, I should have accepted the new weight, given my body time to adjust, and waited awhile to work at weight loss again.

I think this concept is one of the best things I will have gained from Dr. Simeons's protocol.

Today I decided to celebrate my current size by trying on every blouse and every pair of pants in my closet. Mind you, I have a large walk-in closet with literally 25+ years' worth of various-sized wardrobes, so this task took about 4 hours. I threw away several shabby old biggy-sized pants and shirts (when you're fat and can't easily find clothes that fit, you hang on to everything). I also gave 3 pairs of pants and more than a dozen blouses to Sarah. They're now the right size for her new, smaller figure, but ridiculously baggy on me. I love it!

In the photo above are the many blouses that haven't fit me since about 5 years ago, and a few I bought but never wore because I never lost the weight I intended to lose at the time I bought them. It was so fun and exciting to find so many clothes that now fit perfectly!

Add to those the other pants and blouses I was able to start wearing 4 weeks ago, and I have a great wardrobe to enjoy now! (Not shown in this photo are 7 more blouses in the washer--clothes can get pretty dusty hanging in the closet for years! I sneezed a lot while modeling all these shirts.) For the past few years, I have typically had a selection of 6 blouses and 5 pairs of pants to rotate and wear to work each week. Now I can literally go a month without ever wearing the same blouse twice! And it didn't cost me a thing!

It's also fun to think that someday Sarah will be able to choose from these clothes as we both continue to decrease in size and I move into the next-smaller wardrobe in my closet...

As much as I'm enjoying the new me, I still greatly look forward to continuing to shrink. The blouses in the above photo are still too small, varying from slightly too snug (on the left side) to "Did I buy these in the children's department?!" on the right side. The smallest shirts are from the mid-1980s. I'll need to lose 45 more pounds to fit them. That's just 2 more hCG cycles away. It finally seems attainable.

Finally, I thought it would be interesting to compare one of the smallest blouses in the closet to a shirt I was wearing to work only 2 months ago. That cute little blouse looks like it belongs to a child! Was I really that small once upon a time?

The dream remains alive!

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!

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!

HCG: Week Six

Sarah and I are nearing the end of our first hCG quest.

We've been at it for 42 days now. I've lost 32.8 lbs and Sarah has lost 30.8 lbs.

It feels great to walk uphill without huffing and puffing. It's wonderful to tie my shoes without groaning, and to climb stairs without my knees aching.

I'm able to wear clothes that haven't fit me for years. In fact, some are already too large in the shoulders and will soon be passed on to Sarah.

I bought this dress more than 3 years ago. It was too snug to wear then, but I knew it would be perfect after I lost 10 lbs. Then, of course, I gained 20 lbs instead, so I never got to wear it.

Today I took it from the back of the closet and wore it to church. I received many compliments, but it's really too baggy at the top already.

(Keep in mind that I've actually lost 43 lbs total since last New Year's Eve.)

And check out the legs and shoes below. There is NO fat left below the knees. All swelling and puffiness is gone!

I bought those shoes a year ago because they were so darn cute, but heels aren't wise when you're old and fat! They've been gathering dust in the closet. Today these shoes felt great (although I'll have to retrain my ankles and feet to this tilted position).

I still have 40-50 more pounds to lose eventually, but I'm happy to hold at this weight for 6 weeks during the next phase of the diet.

And now for the promised discussion of the hCG diet controversies:

I am a big believer in research, so I went looking for studies based on Dr. Simeons's work. All I could find was a study of hCG research projects from the 1990's.

The author of this "overview" somehow located 24 studies on the effectiveness of hCG. He immediately discarded 12 of those studies because they were so poorly designed.

11 of the remaining 12 studies showed that hCG was no more effective than a placebo in causing weight loss when accompanied by a 500-calorie diet.

Hmmm.

As much as I respect research, I'm also a huge believer in anecdotal evidence. Not only are there literally thousands of people online who swear to the effectiveness of hCG, but I also had too many friends and family who've experienced it, as well as my own recent experience.

Why didn't the anecdotal evidence and these research studies line up?

I thought back to Dr. Atkins's 30-year struggle to educate people about the dangers of sugars and other empty carbs. His opponents dared him to prove his theories by research; he preferred to spend his time and money on his patients, who were his research. He saw the positive results in his clinic everyday. Today there are more than 60 studies vindicating Dr. Atkins, showing that a controlled-carb lifestyle achieves not only the best long-term weight loss, but also by far the greatest improvement in blood lipids, when compared to low-fat and low-calorie diets.

Dr. Simeons likewise did not participate in huge research studies. He did his own research by watching the results of his patients for decades and adjusting the diet and hormone until he achieved optimum success. For instance, the diet only allows a choice of 4 fruits: apples, oranges, strawberries, or half of a grapefruit. When his patients asked, "Why not a pear?" he simply replied, "Because when my patients eat pears they don't lose weight."

With this in mind, I dug a little deeper. I couldn't find any specifics about the lone study that showed hCG to be effective. But guess what I learned about the other 11? They were not modeled on Dr. Simeons's protocol. The researchers designed their own 500-calorie diets. Their research subjects complained of hunger (with hCG or the placebo) and lost insignificant amounts of weight.

Only one of the diets was similar to Dr. Simeons's, except that it called for the subjects to eat one baked potato each day. In 40 days these people lost an average of 7.5 lbs. How is that even possible? I lost 12 lbs in my first week! It's possible because Dr. Simeons allows no potatoes during the 40 days of his diet.

I then realized that these studies were only trying to test the hCG itself. They were not testing Dr. Simeons's protocol, which had already been proven decades earlier in his weight loss clinics.

So here is my own anecdotal evidence regarding the claims made about the hCG diet:

No exercise necessary: Absolutely true! I'm down nearly 33 lbs without the least bit of exercise. And I'm not weak from hunger or lack of activity.

At left, you see the hallway from the school parking lot, looking up to my classroom at the very top right. Our building (East Campus) is built on a slope. At least once everyday I have to walk downhill to the office in the West Campus, then walk back uphill across the sloped parking lot and then up this ramp-like hall.

When I began the diet, I would arrive at my classroom breathless. I'd have to stop on the flat landing midway up the hall to catch my breath.

Now I can take that long walk at a trot without a pause, feeling like I could walk another mile after reaching my classroom!

The Diet Contours the Body: This may have some truth to it. I still have plenty of fat to lose, but I do notice the areas that have lost the most are remaining remarkably firm. I had worried that losing so much weight in such a short time would leave me with hanging flab, but it hasn't. For instance, my upper arms have less wobbly flesh than they did when all the fat was still in place under the skin. We'll see if it's still true after the next cycle, when I hope to be within 20 lbs of my target weight.

Another concern with rapid weight loss is that sallow, gaunt look in the face that makes the dieter look older, but I've had none of that. I will admit that a couple of lines around my eyes seem slightly deeper, and Grandma Butler's jowls (one of her parting gifts to me) are becoming more prominent, but I'm not too unhappy with how my face is changing. Hopefully I won't end up looking like Nien Nunb of Return of the Jedi!

The Diet Changes Your Relationship with Food: We'll see about that when I get back to eating "real" food next week. I mentioned last week that I'm not craving junk food, but I do long for a variety of healthy foods. It is certainly true that on 500 calories per day you learn to take much smaller bites and chew your food longer. And I don't know if this is related, but I've suddenly stopped biting my fingernails, after years of chewing them to the quick.

I thought I'd display the rings my children have given me. The amethyst ring on the right was from Jacob for my birthday 2 years ago; Sarah gave me the pink heart ring for my birthday a year ago; and Dylan bought the big blue square ring at a gift shop last November when we were at the hospital visiting Callie. Knowing blue is my favorite color, he said he just knew he had to get me that ring. My tastes are more appreciative of smaller, delicate jewelry, but this gift came straight from his heart, so I love it!

The Diet Lowers High Blood Pressure Rapidly: For me, this is unquestionably true. In 2 weeks my blood pressure was normal and my hypertension drugs were cut in half!

HCG Increases Metabolism: I haven't turned into a dynamo of energy, but I do seem to need less sleep, I do have more stamina for housework, and I no longer need the daily after-school naps that have gotten me through the last few years. And, clearly, the pounds are burning off.

Many of this diet's naysayers claim that anyone can lose this much weight on a 500-calorie diet, even without the hCG. As one who tried low-calorie dieting back in the '90s, I have to disagree. I might lose for several days, but then it would stop cold as my body went into starvation mode and clung to its precious fat. To me, the fact that the pounds keep dropping off for the full 40 days is either a miracle or the hCG at work.

Sarah and I came up with a new dish this week: chicken fajitas! We actually made steak fajitas, too, and they were delicious.

I've always liked the flavor of onion in dishes, but I wasn't a fan of eating onions on their own. However, we both found the caramelized onions in these dishes to be yummy!

In summary, over the course of the past 6 weeks I have come to believe that Dr. Simeons's hCG diet is a safe, effective way to lose a lot of weight quickly.

Despite my initial misgivings, I also now believe that the extremely restrictive diet is safe if used in conjunction with hCG, and if used for a strictly limited time period.

In the words of Micky Dolenz: "I'm a Believer!"