Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
5 Days later - The Aftermath of hCG
Well it has been a week since I stopped taking the hCG drops. I guess the drops actually did have some hunger controlling properties after all because I have been MUCH hungrier the last few days. My weight today was 200.4, so I have been able to keep the weight off even though I am eating close to 4X as many calories as before.
I have been eating a lower carbohydrate diet every day and trying to eat healthier foods and smaller portions. I went to the store and bought and cooked up steak, chicken, pork chops, and turkey burgers and bagged and froze them all so I have a nice stash of lunch/dinners that I can just heat up and eat with some veggies for meals. This really makes the difference! I have also taken some almonds and put them in small single serving size sandwich bags so I can have some snacks without losing control on how much I eat (I have a snacking problem!).
I am finding that I miss being on the hCG diet. It was very structured and actually easier than being out in the wild having to make decisions on what and how much to eat. I can definitely see myself doing the diet again in another 5 weeks (Dr Simeons suggests 6 weeks between cycles so you don't develop a tolerance to the hCG) to get down to my ideal body weight. Ideal body weight for someone who is 5'11 and medium frame is 154-166 so I still have a ways to go to hit that.
Rob
I have been eating a lower carbohydrate diet every day and trying to eat healthier foods and smaller portions. I went to the store and bought and cooked up steak, chicken, pork chops, and turkey burgers and bagged and froze them all so I have a nice stash of lunch/dinners that I can just heat up and eat with some veggies for meals. This really makes the difference! I have also taken some almonds and put them in small single serving size sandwich bags so I can have some snacks without losing control on how much I eat (I have a snacking problem!).
I am finding that I miss being on the hCG diet. It was very structured and actually easier than being out in the wild having to make decisions on what and how much to eat. I can definitely see myself doing the diet again in another 5 weeks (Dr Simeons suggests 6 weeks between cycles so you don't develop a tolerance to the hCG) to get down to my ideal body weight. Ideal body weight for someone who is 5'11 and medium frame is 154-166 so I still have a ways to go to hit that.
Rob
Friday, October 7, 2011
hCG Diet - Last day of Phase 1
Weight 201.0
Well this wraps up my 500 calorie a day 28 day journey. I started out at 219.6 lbs, crested to 205 during my 2 gorge days, and then lost 24 lbs to a much thinner 201.0. The diet wasn't hard and with a little preparation I feel like it could be done by almost anyone. Between working at the firehouse and chasing my 2 young kiddos around the house I never lacked for any energy throughout the entire 28 days.
Do the hCG Drops really work?
Well that is a good question. On one hand I was able to go almost a month eating only 500 calories a day with little or no hunger. I had tried to stay on a 1600 calorie a day diet before and was failing miserably. On the other hand, I haven't taken the drops for 3 days now and still feel no real hunger or need to eat more than my two little meals. It would be interesting to see if someone followed the plan as closely as I did and just skipped out on the drops would they be able to do it as comfortably as I was? I have known people who have fasted 1 week and as long as 40 days and they stopped feeling much hunger after a few days.
In conclusion I really have no idea. I do believe the drops if anything help you validate the diet in your mind, and just taking the drops can help you get past times when you feel tempted to cheat. I didn't notice any "abnormal" fat dropping off ,but I am still 25 pounds overweight from where I'd like to be so maybe I just can't tell. Will I do this diet again at some point? I'd say definitely yes.
Phase 2
Well for the next phase I have already prepared low-carb entrees for the next 2 weeks which should give me a head start. I am very familiar with the Atkin's style diet which is pretty much what this phase entails for the next 3 weeks. Low-fat protein, vegetables, small helping of fruit, small helping of cheese (opt) is my basic meal plan. It is still an incredible change from the rigid hCG diet so I'm eager to get started.
Wish me luck
Rob
Well this wraps up my 500 calorie a day 28 day journey. I started out at 219.6 lbs, crested to 205 during my 2 gorge days, and then lost 24 lbs to a much thinner 201.0. The diet wasn't hard and with a little preparation I feel like it could be done by almost anyone. Between working at the firehouse and chasing my 2 young kiddos around the house I never lacked for any energy throughout the entire 28 days.
Do the hCG Drops really work?
Well that is a good question. On one hand I was able to go almost a month eating only 500 calories a day with little or no hunger. I had tried to stay on a 1600 calorie a day diet before and was failing miserably. On the other hand, I haven't taken the drops for 3 days now and still feel no real hunger or need to eat more than my two little meals. It would be interesting to see if someone followed the plan as closely as I did and just skipped out on the drops would they be able to do it as comfortably as I was? I have known people who have fasted 1 week and as long as 40 days and they stopped feeling much hunger after a few days.
In conclusion I really have no idea. I do believe the drops if anything help you validate the diet in your mind, and just taking the drops can help you get past times when you feel tempted to cheat. I didn't notice any "abnormal" fat dropping off ,but I am still 25 pounds overweight from where I'd like to be so maybe I just can't tell. Will I do this diet again at some point? I'd say definitely yes.
Phase 2
Well for the next phase I have already prepared low-carb entrees for the next 2 weeks which should give me a head start. I am very familiar with the Atkin's style diet which is pretty much what this phase entails for the next 3 weeks. Low-fat protein, vegetables, small helping of fruit, small helping of cheese (opt) is my basic meal plan. It is still an incredible change from the rigid hCG diet so I'm eager to get started.
Wish me luck
Rob
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Fall Classes - 1,001 ways to kill people
Ok I've signed up for 2 courses. Thanks to the accelerated program this is a full time schedule since they have 5 semesters. So 30 credits per year (3 credits per class).
The first class I enrolled in is IS205 : Managing Information Systems which is a prerequisite for most of the classes in my Major (Software Engineering).
The second class I enrolled in is GO125 : Natural Disasters which qualifies as a natural science class which is one of the Liberal Education Electives I need for my degree.
So I log on to look at the syllabus today and this is what I see.
The first class I enrolled in is IS205 : Managing Information Systems which is a prerequisite for most of the classes in my Major (Software Engineering).
The second class I enrolled in is GO125 : Natural Disasters which qualifies as a natural science class which is one of the Liberal Education Electives I need for my degree.
So I log on to look at the syllabus today and this is what I see.
Welcome to
GO 125 Natural Disasters
GO 125 Natural Disasters
(commonly referred to by many students as 1,001 ways to kill people)
Is this class going to rock or what?
Day 27 - hCG Diet
Weight 202.8
Another nice drop in weight today. I'm still feeling really good and totally enjoying the new slimmer me. I look a lot thinner and more defined in my face and I can actually see my toes again. Today was my second day with no drops and though I was a little hungrier than usual in the morning, the day went smoothly overall. I did have a couple of periods where I had bent over and when i came back up I felt light-headed and my vision faded out. I don't know if that was a coincidence or not but I've had it happen a few times while doing this die.t I didn't really think it was very serious and forgot to mention it before.
For lunch I had the ground turkey I had made this week with some asparagus tips . Totally delicious. I really seasoned the turkey well with lots of fresh garlic and onions and garlic pepper. I sat outside and read a book while I ate and it was a fantastic ,relaxing, tasty experience. Dinner was a hamburger and some whole asparagus. It was good as wel,l though i had to eat quicker than I wanted to (crazy kiddos). I find I really enjoy just sitting and slowly eating my food these days.
I'm still feeling good with lots of energy. I went to the chiropractor today and got a haircut as well, these kinds of things just help you feel good as a whole.
1 more day!
Rob
Another nice drop in weight today. I'm still feeling really good and totally enjoying the new slimmer me. I look a lot thinner and more defined in my face and I can actually see my toes again. Today was my second day with no drops and though I was a little hungrier than usual in the morning, the day went smoothly overall. I did have a couple of periods where I had bent over and when i came back up I felt light-headed and my vision faded out. I don't know if that was a coincidence or not but I've had it happen a few times while doing this die.t I didn't really think it was very serious and forgot to mention it before.
For lunch I had the ground turkey I had made this week with some asparagus tips . Totally delicious. I really seasoned the turkey well with lots of fresh garlic and onions and garlic pepper. I sat outside and read a book while I ate and it was a fantastic ,relaxing, tasty experience. Dinner was a hamburger and some whole asparagus. It was good as wel,l though i had to eat quicker than I wanted to (crazy kiddos). I find I really enjoy just sitting and slowly eating my food these days.
I'm still feeling good with lots of energy. I went to the chiropractor today and got a haircut as well, these kinds of things just help you feel good as a whole.
1 more day!
Rob
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Day 26 - hCG Diet
Weight - 203.2
My first day without drops was a success. I felt a little hungry in the morning (i had to get up at 5:30am for work and for some reason getting up early makes me hungry hehe) but had a melba toast around 9 and forgot all about eating until lunch. I was at the station today so I did have to put up with the usual round of questions about the diet, and even had someone mention that they could tell I'd lost a lot of weight (though they commented that my head has stayed the same size). Lunch was a simple hamburger and spinach with an apple and dinner was round steak with spinach and salsa. I have found it is really easy to open a can of whatever vegetable, and to just eat half for lunch and half for dinner at the station. Less stuff to carry around.
Tonight they had chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes for dinner. I normally love that kind of home cooked comfort food, but just looking at it all being cooked in grease really turned me off. I haven't had a single thing fried in 24 days and I really don't miss it at all. I'm having a lot of internal debates on what my eating habits are going to look like after my diet is over and what I am going to take away from all of this. Hopefully I will realize that I don't need to eat large portions of food and that I can really enjoy lean healthy foods instead of craving all of the sugars and fats I've been accustomed to in the past.
2 more days till phase 2
Rob Out
My first day without drops was a success. I felt a little hungry in the morning (i had to get up at 5:30am for work and for some reason getting up early makes me hungry hehe) but had a melba toast around 9 and forgot all about eating until lunch. I was at the station today so I did have to put up with the usual round of questions about the diet, and even had someone mention that they could tell I'd lost a lot of weight (though they commented that my head has stayed the same size). Lunch was a simple hamburger and spinach with an apple and dinner was round steak with spinach and salsa. I have found it is really easy to open a can of whatever vegetable, and to just eat half for lunch and half for dinner at the station. Less stuff to carry around.
Tonight they had chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes for dinner. I normally love that kind of home cooked comfort food, but just looking at it all being cooked in grease really turned me off. I haven't had a single thing fried in 24 days and I really don't miss it at all. I'm having a lot of internal debates on what my eating habits are going to look like after my diet is over and what I am going to take away from all of this. Hopefully I will realize that I don't need to eat large portions of food and that I can really enjoy lean healthy foods instead of craving all of the sugars and fats I've been accustomed to in the past.
2 more days till phase 2
Rob Out
Software Engineering
Today I received an acceptance letter from Park University. I'll be starting an accelerated Bachelor of Science program in Software Engineering on October 17th. Wish me luck as I'll probably be busting out some Math classes in the near future. Luckily I have Jessi aka "The Beautiful Mind" to help me understand all of the complicated equations.Many thanks to my Mom, James, Sam, my brother Matthew, and Jessi for helping to motivate me to go back to school. You guys rock!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Day 25 - hCG Diet
Weight - 203.8
Weight loss has been pretty steady the last couple of days. I'm finally done with my drops today yay! I went ahead and cooked up a bunch more food today and froze it, I've really begun to like being able to toss a package of meat out with some veggies and call it a meal.
Lunch was fast and uninteresting. Ground beef with onions and garlic, collard greens, apple and melba toast. Dinner was a lemon pepper chicken breast and asparagus tips with an orange and sesame melba toast. I'm having 2 sprite zero and 7's tonight to celebrate my last night of drops.
Tomorrow will be my last day of Phase 1 dieting at the fire station which i am grateful for. It is very hard to bring your food in and watch everyone else eating all kinds of good stuff. I have done the Atkin's diet at work before very succesfully, limiting my bread/sugar/starch and eating mostly meat and vegetables so I feel like I will do very well on Phase 2.
I will be blogging the next 3 days to talk about my experiences on a 500 calorie diet with no drops and then I will be blogging weekly after that. I hope this helped anyone who is interested in the hCG diet. I have been very pleased with my 23 day diet cycle and I am nothing short of amazed at how much weight I've lost with very little hunger.
Thanks goes out to my chiropractor Dr. Steve Anderson at Active Chiropractic on St. Clair and Barry rd. for recommending the diet to me.
Just a few more days and Phase 2 hooray
Rob
Weight loss has been pretty steady the last couple of days. I'm finally done with my drops today yay! I went ahead and cooked up a bunch more food today and froze it, I've really begun to like being able to toss a package of meat out with some veggies and call it a meal.
Lunch was fast and uninteresting. Ground beef with onions and garlic, collard greens, apple and melba toast. Dinner was a lemon pepper chicken breast and asparagus tips with an orange and sesame melba toast. I'm having 2 sprite zero and 7's tonight to celebrate my last night of drops.
Tomorrow will be my last day of Phase 1 dieting at the fire station which i am grateful for. It is very hard to bring your food in and watch everyone else eating all kinds of good stuff. I have done the Atkin's diet at work before very succesfully, limiting my bread/sugar/starch and eating mostly meat and vegetables so I feel like I will do very well on Phase 2.
I will be blogging the next 3 days to talk about my experiences on a 500 calorie diet with no drops and then I will be blogging weekly after that. I hope this helped anyone who is interested in the hCG diet. I have been very pleased with my 23 day diet cycle and I am nothing short of amazed at how much weight I've lost with very little hunger.
Thanks goes out to my chiropractor Dr. Steve Anderson at Active Chiropractic on St. Clair and Barry rd. for recommending the diet to me.
Just a few more days and Phase 2 hooray
Rob
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Day 24 - hCG Diet
Weight - 204.2
Today was a decent day all in all. I had good energy even though I was up till late last night. I wanted coffee this afternoon, but I even opted for decaf because I just didn't need the caffeine. Tomorrow is the last day of taking the hCG drops which I'm really looking forward to. The drops can really be an annoyance. It's hard to remember to do ANYTHING 6 times a day.
I ate the standard hamburger with collard greens for lunch today. I had my melba toast at 10am and 3pm which helped a lot because I didn't get to eat lunch until 1pm or so. Dinner was a spinach salad with shrimp and chopped apples,tomatoes, and celery with salsa for dressing. The salad was filling and good but I wasn't a huge fan of the chopped apples, so that won't be making a come back anytime soon.
I re-read some of the highlights of Dr. Simeons manuscript as I am nearing completion of the first phase and I was a bit let down when I found that day 24-26 are actually still 500 calorie days. I had read another part of the manuscript that had led me to believe I could have 800 calories a day but it turns out that is for special circumstances only. Sooo I'm going to be on my best behavior a few more days. Friday will be my first day on Phase 2 and Saturday the wife and I are going out to Emchamas for some Brazilian deliciousness to celebrate!
Rob
Today was a decent day all in all. I had good energy even though I was up till late last night. I wanted coffee this afternoon, but I even opted for decaf because I just didn't need the caffeine. Tomorrow is the last day of taking the hCG drops which I'm really looking forward to. The drops can really be an annoyance. It's hard to remember to do ANYTHING 6 times a day.
I ate the standard hamburger with collard greens for lunch today. I had my melba toast at 10am and 3pm which helped a lot because I didn't get to eat lunch until 1pm or so. Dinner was a spinach salad with shrimp and chopped apples,tomatoes, and celery with salsa for dressing. The salad was filling and good but I wasn't a huge fan of the chopped apples, so that won't be making a come back anytime soon.
I re-read some of the highlights of Dr. Simeons manuscript as I am nearing completion of the first phase and I was a bit let down when I found that day 24-26 are actually still 500 calorie days. I had read another part of the manuscript that had led me to believe I could have 800 calories a day but it turns out that is for special circumstances only. Sooo I'm going to be on my best behavior a few more days. Friday will be my first day on Phase 2 and Saturday the wife and I are going out to Emchamas for some Brazilian deliciousness to celebrate!
Rob
Day 23 - hCG Diet
Weight 204.6
Day went surprisingly well today. I ate my lunch - hamburger/mustard greens at Arby's while my friend ate twisty fries. I went to a LAN party from noon to 1am where I was bombarded with snacks and cookies and sugary pop (i resisted!). Finally for the coup de grace they brought in Minsky's Pizza which is my absolute favorite. I ate a chicken breast and mustard greens. Yummah! Actually it was delicious as always and I was able to make it all day and wasn't feeling hungry until 1 am which is when i decided i better go home and sleep.
All in all it was a great day
Rob
Day went surprisingly well today. I ate my lunch - hamburger/mustard greens at Arby's while my friend ate twisty fries. I went to a LAN party from noon to 1am where I was bombarded with snacks and cookies and sugary pop (i resisted!). Finally for the coup de grace they brought in Minsky's Pizza which is my absolute favorite. I ate a chicken breast and mustard greens. Yummah! Actually it was delicious as always and I was able to make it all day and wasn't feeling hungry until 1 am which is when i decided i better go home and sleep.
All in all it was a great day
Rob
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Day 22 - hCG Diet
Weight - 206.0
The diet went well today as far as hunger goes I felt really good. My energy level was good in the beginning but I had some projects around the house that seemed to sap it all away, and by the evening time I was really exhausted. I bounced back after a few hours, but I felt like I normally wouldn't have been this tired from the work I'd done.
Lunch was right at 12 o'clock and as part of my pact with myself to keep my salt lower, I had a turkey burger with asparagus tips and an apple. I didn't use any salsa which is pretty dang salty (but sooo delicious).
Dinner was a chipotle tilapia filet with more asparagus and an orange. It was very filling and I only had one can of diet soda today opting to drink coffee in the morning and water (yuck) throughout the day.
No headaches today or any complaints, I did eat my dinner melba toast around 4pm which kept me satisfied until dinner.
Only 3 more days until I stop taking the drops and move up to 800 calories a day. Just knowing that this phase is coming to an end is making it really hard to not cheat. I haven't been hungry, but it's so hard not to get a big popcorn at the movies or to stop by Sheridans for ice cream with the family. Only a few more days, I can dooo it!
Rob
The diet went well today as far as hunger goes I felt really good. My energy level was good in the beginning but I had some projects around the house that seemed to sap it all away, and by the evening time I was really exhausted. I bounced back after a few hours, but I felt like I normally wouldn't have been this tired from the work I'd done.
Lunch was right at 12 o'clock and as part of my pact with myself to keep my salt lower, I had a turkey burger with asparagus tips and an apple. I didn't use any salsa which is pretty dang salty (but sooo delicious).
Dinner was a chipotle tilapia filet with more asparagus and an orange. It was very filling and I only had one can of diet soda today opting to drink coffee in the morning and water (yuck) throughout the day.
No headaches today or any complaints, I did eat my dinner melba toast around 4pm which kept me satisfied until dinner.
Only 3 more days until I stop taking the drops and move up to 800 calories a day. Just knowing that this phase is coming to an end is making it really hard to not cheat. I haven't been hungry, but it's so hard not to get a big popcorn at the movies or to stop by Sheridans for ice cream with the family. Only a few more days, I can dooo it!
Rob
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