If you have NO idea what the HCG diet is, click here for more information: http://www.hcgdietinfo.com/HCG_Diet-Dr-Simeons-Manuscript.htm
I started the HCG diet shortly after Thanksgiving 2008 and lost a total of 15 lbs in about 26 days!!! I won't bore you with each daily weigh-in but it averaged out to be a little over .5 lost per day. Some "experts" say you can lose anywhere from .5-2 lbs a day. I think the reason I only lost .5 a day was due to the fact that I only had about 15-20 lbs to lose. I think if you have 50+ lbs to lose you will lose at a faster pace.
Phase I: You start the diet (day 1) with the shots and 2 "Loading" days. You basically eat as much as you possibly can for 2 days. For me, this was not as much fun as you'd think- it made me very sick. After the 2 days of gorging you start the VLCD (very low calorie diet.)
Phase II: There are things that I really liked about Phase II, the first being the fact that you don't eat very often. I have done diets in the past where you HAVE to eat every 2 hours and it involved quite a bit of preparation. On this diet you wake up and have tea. Very easy. And throughout the day you eat 2 fruits, 2 veggies, 2 proteins and 2 bread sticks (you must choose from a specific list of foods and eat only a certain amount of each) It comes out to be 500 calories a day. It sounds a lot harder than it is. Trust me. You do have to be prepared but if you're a busy person you will love this diet because food is no longer a priority in your life. Some days are harder than others too. You will find at times you feel very hungry but it's often remedied with a large drink of water or tea. I found that if I stay as busy as possible I don't think about being hungry or wanting food much at all. You may be thinking why or how did you follow such a strict diet during the holidays? Honestly, it wasn't that bad. It is such a busy time of year that I didn't think too much about it... I'm not going to lie and say that I was never hungry or say that I wasn't tempted by all the Holiday goodies that were constantly in my face but knowing the diet was so successful for me kept me motivated.
Phase III: I started the maintenance phase (no sugar/no starch) on Christmas eve day and have maintained my last injection weight for 2+ weeks. I have done 2 "steak days" due to slight fluctuation in weight but the steak day has always brought me back down to my last injection weight. I have found SO many GREAT "low carb" recipes on the internet- it's been my saving grace for Christmas and New Years. I made a low carb cheesecake for Christmas that was really good! Topped it with some whipped cream and strawberries- YUM! I have also made deviled eggs, 7 layer dip w/low carb tortilla chips, sugar free jellos, cheese trays, low carb peanut butter cookies, etc. And one of my favorite things that I have made is low carb waffles! I found the recipe on atkins.com. Add a little butter and sugar free syrup or fresh strawberries with whipped cream- They are SO GOOD! Phase III is apx 3 weeks.
So at this point I have 2 options- I can start back on the HCG shots and do another round of Phase II (VLCD) in hopes of losing just a few more lbs OR I can go into Phase IV which is basically the same as phase III but you can slowly (like 1 a day) start introducing carbs and sugars back into your diet. So- what should I do? I am comfortably fitting into all my size 8 clothes and am pretty much at a weight that my body prefers and can easily maintain. HOWEVER, I turn the big 30 in about 6 weeks and would very much like to be down another 5-10 lbs! So, with that said- I think I am going to do one more round of phase II & VLCD in hopes of reaching my ultimate goal by my 30th birthday! After all, I do have about 18 more shots left!
For me this diet has been great but wouldn't say it's right for everyone. I bought the shots from a doc's office and they set me back about $700. I have read through other's blogs that you can order it online, but I personally don't know of any safe/reliable websites. I liked being monitored by a nurse too, they do blood work and watch you very closely. She was always available to answer questions and help me with stalls. But I know that there are many people that go at it on their own.
Thank you for joining me on my journey! Please feel free to post your questions or comments in the comment section! I will be more than happy to help you on your own journey!
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