Round II

So, I went ahead and started the 500 calorie diet again. I "gorged" and did the drops for two days. This time, I had no headache or severe lethargy on day 1 of the diet. I think proper gorging contributed to this.

I've only been on the diet for three days. The first day, I lost three pounds. The second day, I lost another 1.5 pounds. This is the third day and I had no change from yesterday. : ( But, I am not completely discouraged. I figure if I can lose 3-4 pounds a week, I'll be happy.

This time I'm more hung up on HOW MANY DAYS I need to do the DIET. The informatoin reads, "26 days of treatment with 23 days of drops." Well, if you count the first two days I did drops and gorged, then I really have 24 days on the diet (2 days of gorging & drops + 21 days of drops & diet + 3 days of diet but no drops = 26 days of treatment, 23 days of drops.)

So. . .

Do they mean:

23 days on the drops - First 3 days are gorging (I only do two because I want to start losing right away), followed by 20 days of diet & drops, finishing up with 3 days of diet & no drops.

OR

26 days of treatment - First 3 days are gorging, followed by 23 days on diet & drops, with an additional 3 days on diet with no drops.

I guess my final question is: Is it 23 days on the diet (3 of those being without drops) or 26 days on the diet (3 of those being without drops)?

If you've done your 500-calorie days, you know that those three days MATTER!

When Can I Start Again?

What happens if I DON'T wait six weeks to restart the drops? I'd like to restart them on Saturday, May 15th - which will only be two weeks off of the drops. Not-Mom-Jerry, could you please order me more? I don't need the B-12.

Time for the next step...

I have moved onto the next phase of the program and although it is nice to have more options as to what to eat, the best part is being able to eat when you are hungry. The truth is, I have not been eating much more than what I was eating on the 500 calorie portion of the diet.

A few things that I have noticed are... My stomach has shrunk! I eat a fourth of what I use to eat. The urge to snack has gone away. I never want to just sit and eat a bag of chips anymore. THAT was definitely just a habit. I have no sugar cravings at all! After a month of no sweeteners (I haven't even used Stevia) my urges for something sweet have just disappeared. I still feel great! And... I am still loosing weight! Lost 2 more pounds yesterday - I am actually UNDER my goal.

I hope all of you are having success with whatever phase you are on... Don't be strangers, I want to continue to hear how you are doing. Much love!

Maintenance update...

Long time no blog ~ Dave and I are doing very well on the maintenance phase of our diet, enjoying our breakfasts, cheeses, green olives and the occasional macadamia nut :)

We are also continuing to lose pounds, although slower than before, which should be encouraging for those just starting the phase, or getting close to it! I think the key to that is continuing on a healthy path.. we are still watching portions, reading labels, getting plenty of veggies and as much of the few fruits we can eat as possible.. found out we don't really like papaya :( Still drinking lots of water & tea, and getting plenty of physical activity!

Hope everyone else is doing well, and still experiencing the high that comes from making such a positive change!!

The countdown begins...

Drops until Sunday, 500 calories without the drops through Tuesday and then Wednesday - BACON and CHEESE! I'm just shy of the 11 lb. mark and I have to say that there is a very noticeable difference in how I look and how my clothes fit. I am however not swimsuit ready. Why can't the drops burn fat AND firm you up at the same time? Can someone look into that for me? ;) I'm a little nervous about going off the diet - I am scared that I will binge eat all the things I have missed. Good thing everyone around me is just going off the diet also and wont allow me to - right?! I am hoping to lose another 4 lbs before the whole thing is over and I am considering giving it one more shot when I get back from Hawaii. Anyone else thinking about it?

Next Phase Begins Wednesday!

Well, I am excited to have survived the three most difficult weeks, but disappointed that I didn't lose more weight and inches - particularly since I didn't cheat at all!

ANYWAY. . . Do I understand correctly that we are no longer allowed our Saltines, Melba Rounds, or Grissini for the next three weeks? Oh, carbs, how I miss thee. . .

Maybe starting a piece of cheese here and a macadamia nut there (I was heartbroken to discover I still can't have even a cashew!) will satisfy me and I won't dream of Grissini. . .

I worked out today and plan to give P90X a shot to see if I can bully off these last few pounds without another round of HCG. But, I'll do the HCG again if I must!

Where have all the bloggers gone...

Saturday morning stats: Dave down 30 1/2 lbs, Lori down 15 lbs - Dave down 5 1/2" in the belly, Lori down 3 1/4" in the waist & hips. Many more inches lost, but those are our biggest numbers, and fortunately where we wanted/needed to lose the most!

We enjoyed our first morning of the maintenance phase, had a nice omelet, a little 2% milk in our coffee with some english toffee flavored stevia, and actually neither of us could eat our entire omelets, so Bandit enjoyed the remnants! We decided that going forward, we will continue to have black coffee on the weekdays, saving milk for a weekend treat. We may or may not go back to flavored coffee cream after this phase..

How is everyone else doing?? I've had verbal updates from Sis & Mom, Jerry~ how 'bout some recipe ideas for the maintenance phase? And where oh where has my Em-me-leee gone?

Countdown to cheese...

Dave and I stopped drops as of last night, and started our 3 unassisted 500 calorie days this morning. Could be all in my head, but I was hungry for my morning fruit a little earlier than normal.. Our weight loss numbers are very good at this point, Dave has lost 28 lbs total, and I have lost almost 14. These are smaller numbers than our personal goals, but the visible results are beyond our expectations for those numbers!

I must say we are looking forward to breakfast Saturday morning, will likely fix a healthy, delicious omelet with more than 2 veggies and definitely some CHEESE!

I have another product endorsement to share, thanks to my health food shopping for this diet. Alba makes a tinted lip balm with sunscreen called Terra Tints. Ladies ~ these are the bomb, 70% organic, chemical free SPF, the colors are actually darker than most balms, they stay put and feel great!! Both Sunflower Market and Whole Foods carry them.

Power-LESS day

Just a quick recap on what I did today outside of STARVE. My first food was about two minutes ago and I basically inhaled 1/3 of a burger patty and spinach. Here's the basic run-down:

Blew all of the outlets in my office, strung four powerstrips together, electrucuted myself three times,swore three times (obviously) stole two power cords from various other people (shh...), oh and TRIPPED my CEO.

Yes, you can eat out....!

So I ate out twice this weekend and continued to successfully lose weight! My suggestion is to preface the ordering process by saying "I am on a very limited diet." I ordered a grilled steak salad on a bed of lettuce with cucumbers and lemon slices. I asked ahead of time to make sure that there were not any oils used on the grill. Next I ordered cottage cheese, tomato slices and a cup of strawberries. I asked if it was fat free cottage cheese - and since the waitress was a bit of a biatch - I never got a straight answer so I just ate less. I also asked to make sure the strawberries did not have any sugar or sweeteners on them, and they didn't. Other than that - when I go out, I just drink a lot of TEA! I lost another 2.5 lbs over the weekend. Yahoo! Still feeling great, hope all of you are having a great experience also. Think Thin!

Starting off the weekend with a bang...

Hey all ~ It seems that Aunt Flo's visit is a very short one, only set me back 2 days, so Dave is just going to extend the 500 calorie diet along with me :)

As reported earlier, we had both shifted to losing smaller amounts each day, were still losing inches and basically pleased with our results. Dave, however, decided to increase his protein, based on how much walking we are doing, some reading he did about protein quantities, activity and weight loss, and it is listed on the plateau breaker page.. His losses have been bigger the last few days. He then, unbeknownst to me, increased mine with dinner last night, and this morning he lost 2 lbs 2 oz, and I lost 1 lb 8 oz ~ Big day for both!! He knew he would have to show me to prove it, I am a bit stubborn :) Wanted to share this with any that may be having a similar experience....

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Lady and the Cramp...

Well... Heather sent me the menstrual vibes, so Aunt Flo arrived at my doorstep yesterday just as I was leaving for work! Damn that red headed aunt, 3 days early! Strangely, I had no symptoms whatsoever, no cramping, irritability, it was great! I normally take Midol at the first sign of her presence, but I didn't, thinking it best for the diet not to.. Unfortunately, she woke me up very early this morning in her high heels! My suggestion to the ladies.. know your body and your cycle, if you normally need a little help, do not hesitate to get it.. I have Midol in my system now, and feel much better!!

I didn't lose an ounce this morning, so with my smaller losses lately I'm hangin' at 12 lbs down.. Dave has had some smaller losses too, but had a good morning weigh in, losing 1 1/2 lb, so he is now down 24 lbs total!

Happy trails to all... Keep smiling & living healthy!

Freak Out

Ugh - I gained HALF A POUND today!!!!! WT??????? I'm searching my memory bank - did I touch lotion? Did I touch some kid's snack to move it? I did about 45-minutes of weight training yesterday (My first time since the diet.) and took a very short 10-minute walk with the dogs (The little one is learning to walk on the leash. So we do a lot of stopping and starting. It's soooo boring.) My "cycle" seems to have ended (Which is indeed very strange - I usually have 5-SEVEn days. This was only three.)


What is going on??????? I still need to lose 10 pounds!!! : (

Oh yeah!

I woke up this morning another 2 lbs. lighter!!! It's amazing how good I feel after just losing 5 lbs. I even fit into jeans this morning that I haven't worn for months. I haven't had the urge to cheat at all either - I have been to a movie, minus popcorn and Dr. Pepper and I went out last night and just drank tea... No big deal. I am so proud of myself for taking the plunge and actually doing something about how I looked and felt. And for those who think this is the easy way out - screw you! Nothing easy about making such a huge life change. :)

Lettuce WRAPS!!!!

Another great recipe..

Ground Turkey
Green onions
Red bell pepper
Minced garlic
Grated orange peel (to taste)
Red Chili powder

Mix all together and fry it up in a pan. (Of course you can add anything else to taste)

Get romain lettuce and wrap about three of them up and enjoy!!!!!!!

DROPS

Hello,

If you have friends that are seeing your success and want to be on the same path, I have drops that I can ship out.

Choose your Thoughts Choose your World!!!

Good Morning to All,

Jerry and I have been on the drops for a second time the last ten days. I believe I have lost another 10lbs. Our scales were messed up at home confusing us,so I have not been weighing daily. I know that weighing daily is a vital part of the diet but HONESTLY the scale messes with my mind..... I read in a self help book to Choose your Thoughts Choose your World and to see yourself the way you want to be. Wake up daily with the vision of you in the jeans you want to wear or that itsy bitsy yellow pokeadot bikini. I have been doing this and I feel it has helped with everything from fighting hunger to getting my self esteem back.. Think Positive Ladies and Gents!!! We are well on our way to a healthy happy new us!!! Congratulations to all your success!!!

Oh yeah also I drink warm green tea all day long and I truly believe it helps curbs my hunger and is a great detox and excess water eliminator...

Cheers!!!
Marianne :)

Bits & Pieces

RESTAURANT REPORT: Bluewater Grill (SR51 & Camelback Road - formerly The Fish Market)- actually not as many whitefish choices as one would have hoped. They obviously marinated the vegetables, so that screwed that. They were nice about bringing me four Saltines. Delux (32nd Street & Camelback) - No choices available! They couldn't even bring me lettuce without dressing! HOWEVER, they do have the Grissini breadsticks - OMG - they really ARE good! I can't find ONE place on the Internet or locally that has them. (The two places I found on the Internet indicate that they are on backorder.) I didn't eat ANYTHING while I was there, but everyone else at the table gave me their Grissini to take home.

SELTZER/CLUB SODA: This has been a saving grace for me. I drank six cans (Cans can be purchased at Safeway near the LIQUOR.) during Easter not-dinner and was very full. (We were there for about five hours, I think?) If you are a pop/soda drinker, the Seltzer is just water, but it's carbonated. So, you can sort of pretend that you're drinking a diet Dr. Pepper. : )

ADDED BENEFITS: I have to say, my skin is very soft (Thinking it may be the JASON soap.), even though my hands are soooooooooo dry. (I've got Baby Oil, Coconut Oil, AND Corn Huskers Lotion.) Also, I've had NO breakouts (zits).

PREPARING FOR MAINTENANCE: Yeah, I still have 12 more days on the diet. : ) But, I made a calendar indicating how many days I've been on and how many left. I wrote "cheese" on the day after the diet ends and "Chai Frappe" on the day after the maintenance part ends. I am confused as to why wine is permitted during the maintenance phase when it has sugar in it? Any ideas on that one?

MINIMAL WEIGHT LOSS: I would recommend that men discontinue reading at this point. . . So, my "cycle" has come around and has affected my loss rate. At least, I'm HOPING that's what it is and not an actual plateau! I also believe the HCG may affect hmmmmmm........... amount of flow. . . . I ceased the drops but see a noticeable difference in that area.

: )

Good bye muffin tops.... it's been nice knowing ya!

Down another 2.2 lbs today - that makes a total of 3.6 lbs!! It's amazing that you actually can feel the difference with just 3 lbs. I think it may be that I don't feel so bloated anymore. I am still hungry, but I drank hot decaffinated tea today and I really think that helped. Last night for dinner I stuffed a green pepper with hamburger, a few cherry tomatoes and my crumbled up melba toast and a little bit of organic vegetable broth. Nummy!! Yesterday afternoon I started feeling a little "hazy"... Anyone else go through that? It could just be my job stressing me out, the lack of medication (went off all my drugs!) or just life and the million things I have to do - who knows!

I hope everyone is eating well and feeling skinny! Love to you all!

Strawberries and Cream

I need my sugar fix!!! So I found another good one to try.

Fresh Strawberries
1 tbsp milk
2-4 drops vanilla drops stevia
1 packet stevia

This cured my sugar fix and it tasted pretty dam good.

Lori and Dave good Job and hope you took before pictures to give you more of a drive. Everybody stay strong and enjoy the new life.."Your buying back time and we all need that"

Heading into week 3...

Here we go, beginning of week 3... Dave and I had a successful weekend, he is down a total of 21.5 lbs, and I am down .2 oz shy of 11 lbs. My losses have slowed down, but the inches continue to melt away for both of us! One thing worth noting is, we have taken substantial walks daily, wearing Skechers Shape-ups, and are really feeling the effects, so we are both likely gaining muscle in the process.. We do have a solid plan for each of the next phases of the diet, and are hoping to continue losing even then, although we realize the pace may slow down even more.

I wanted to share a couple of things.. We made Jerry's recipe with Coffee & chocolate stevia, we didn't include the milk, drank it iced, AND we combined our morning fruit by squeezing an orange into it.. If you like chocolate & orange together, this is really good!!!

Next.. Dave created a great recipe for our lunch yesterday:

Let's call it ~Hot Italian tomato chicken soup~
He pureed a can of organic tomatoes, a little garlic, and HOT red pepper, he then just added Italian herb seasoning, a little dehydrated onion, and put it on to simmer at medium heat.. While simmering, he cooked our chicken portions on the grill, just drizzled with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. He cut the chicken into bite size pieces, and added them to bowls with the tomato mixture divided for the two of us, then crumbled a half piece of Melba toast on top of each. This was very good, and very filling! You could eliminate the hot peppers if you're not a fan of spicy.

We have more folks starting this week, and I'm anxious to hear how Em & Heather are doing, it's been a while... Happy dieting to all :)

Raaawwwrrr!

So I am on day two of the diet and I have to say - those of you who have said you are not hungry on this diet... I call bull-shit! I have been starving for two days!! I have some theories as to why I am starving, first being - I don't think I have drank enough water and tea. And, I have been starting my day off with iced tea and I think the hot tea curbs your hunger better (just made some). Also, on my last night of gorging I ate too much pizza and barfed... ewww, I know! But I woke up the next day hungry and had to wait to eat my apple... Been hungry since. I will say this though, I lost 1 lb. 4 oz. on my first day and I feel great. Lot's of energy and no cravings or the desire to cheat, just a growly belly. Hopefully the hunger will go away soon... Now, I am off get my strawberries!!

week 2

First week not so bad I lost 5 lbs. Hope I can do the same next week. GOOD LUCK everyone.

TGIF...

Here comes the weekend!

A different week than last, Dave & I lost less weight, but continue to loose inches and feel really good overall.. One thing we need to work on is eating dinner earlier! We have been getting our walks in first some days, if we don't feel too hungry when we get home.. problem is, Dave arrives home around 6:00, so some nights we have eaten as late as 8:00. I read today that you should eat your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime, so this could be contributing to out lower weight loss numbers! We will see how the weekend, and next week play out.

Good luck fellow bitches, especially my baby sis ~ enjoy your gorging, Sunday morning will be here before you know it :)

PERSPECTIVE

Be thankful for what you have.. Be creative. Be innovative.. Think differently and positively.

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear..Just think God is Near!

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling And even more beautiful is knowin g that you are the reason behind it!!!

We can ALL achieve our goals!!! SMILE and think POSITIVE!!!

Here we goooooooo...........

Well this blog is about to get a lot busier!! I started my drops this morning, and since you all know me then you all know how much I like to talk and since I can't actually talk to each of you every day - I will be typing my thoughts here.

My first thought is "I wish I wouldn't have eaten the mini-donuts last night". But... I was at the hockey game and it seemed like the right thing to do. Rule #1 - must change eating habits. You see, I didn't need or really even want the donuts, it's just habit to have mini dontut at the hockey games. Lesson learned.

My next thought is "was the three day cleanse the right thing to do?" I kicked off the week by doing a full body cleanse (liver, kidney, candida and colon). The cleanse was very gentle and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cleanse - however; i don't think ending the cleanse with the mini donuts was the right thing to do because I am not feeling real great this morning. Which is discouraging since I just started the drops; although I know it has nothing to do with them - I just wanted to start with a real positive experience. Ugh... Damn mini donuts!!!

I am so excited to change my eating habits, lose some weight and feel healthy once again! And... I am so happy that all of you have chosen to do this with me. I know that as a team we can be successful in this diet and in maintaining afterwards. I love reading all of your stories and suggestions and I know your experiences will help me be successful. Thank you all for that!

I don't think these first three days will be a problem but wish me luck for the upcoming weeks after.... XO!

Chocalate Fix...hmmmmm

Pumpkin or Chocolate Mocha

coffee

1 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

or dark chocolate or milk choclate stevia (to taste)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until frothy. Serve immediatley.

(Add ice for iced mocha!)

Note: This includes your daily allowance of milk.

When your done with your drops its very important to follow the maintenance phase of the diet, Lot of people started eating like they did before and gained it back quick... Remember this is a life change dont ruin all the hard work.......Also start a physical workout to help with your changes.

* Reward yourself in the end*

Long time no post...

Hi all.. This week has been a little different for Dave and I, another day of no loss Monday, followed by 1 lb lost for each of us Tuesday.. We did go last night and buy a digital scale..
I know, crazy that we were using an archaic old scale, and it appears the relic was weighing about 1/2 lb light.... So starting over with new numbers at this morning's weigh in, Dave lost only .2 lbs, and I actually gained 2 lbs :( (a little less than the real numbers, but getting on the right track)

I went out on another research venture, in hopes of finding something that would keep us from getting discouraged, since we are following the diet to the letter, no cheating whatsoever, actually getting under 500 calories most days! I did find a couple of key items to share..

~ A plateau is going 4 to 6 days without losing any weight, and although I hope that does not happen, there are many folks out there who have experienced it, and still lost a significant amount of weight over the entire process.

~ Women, those still having menstrual cycles will likely gain a little during the time of ovulation! The gain is temporary, many women have experienced this, and guess what... I checked my calendar, and I am definitely dropping an egg in and around this time frame :) :)

I will say that even with the no loss and smaller loss days, we both look thinner!!

I did also want to tell everyone that the orange ginger dressing recipe is great! I did equal parts vinegar and fresh squeezed orange juice, I did a little less garlic & ginger than it called for, and added fresh chopped basil. You need less than a Tbsp with your lettuce or spinach for a salad, it's great with chicken, and I will definitely make this dressing after the diet with just a little olive oil added!!

Until next post... Good luck, good eating, and goodbye fat!!

A NEW MENU ITEM

ROSEMARY GARLIC STEAK

100 g Steak
1 tbsp rice vinger
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp garlic paste ( 3-5 cloves minced)
1/2 tsp red pepper

1. In small dish. add rice vinger. add steak and coat.
2. In small bowl, combine rosemary,garlic,red pepper, rub on both sides of steak.
3. place steak in small dish, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
GRILL TO PREFERENCE

STAY STRONG. I LOST 15 lbs first go around and 3 inches on my waist. I'm happy for all of you making the changes to "buy back time in your life"

Jerry's Birthday!!!

Hey guys... Today is Jerry's birthday and she has also already lost two pounds!

Way to go!

Thank you for the birthday wishes yesterday - you guys are so much help to me!

my first day

It is my first day,so wish me luck & everyone be sure to wish Emily a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Have a good one Em.

Ready, set..... GO!!!

For those of us who have not started the diet yet, Heather has sent me some great information regarding the "gorging" portion of the diet. For those of you who have already passed this stage... too bad! ;)

The 3 Days of Gorging need to be done as good as possible. If Gorging is not done correctly you will experience hunger and it will take a week to get rid of those hunger pains.

So, how does one Gorge for "The HCG Diet" I thought we were just suppose to eat a lot of food?

The beginning of your diet you'll start your sublingual applications of HCG. Also on the first 3 days during sublingual you'll Gorge!

Gorging is eating a lot of "bad" food.

Now the secret here is not to stuff yourself with donuts or pastries, candy or pop...the Idea and the best way to gorge is to eat as FATTY and OILY as possible.

For example - McDonalds = both Fatty and Oily. Include a lot of Sausage and Bacon in your breakfast. Try and eat all day long!

How will you know if you are Gorging right? You will feel like throwing up each day and you will need to force yourself to eat. It will be hard but definitely worth it.

Remember, Gorge right and you won't experience hunger pains when you're fully on The HCG Diet.

Weekend dieters...

Well.. Dave & I survived our first weekend on the diet! Honestly, I think it was easier than the week days. We sleep much later, so the whole routine shifts a bit - Saturday we never got around to our afternoon fruit, and completely forgot about our cracker with lunch. Today we ate our morning fruit with our lunch, again ran out of time for the afternoon fruit, and didn't feel like we even needed our dinner cracker. We did drink a lot of herbal tea, tried some new ones that we really like. We weighed Saturday morning, and didn't lose anything, it was bound to happen, so we measured and fortunately both lost inches, so we weren't too discouraged :) This morning was our best day yet, I lost 3 lbs, Dave lost 4!!

I want to share a couple of discoveries.. First, the lettuce wrap recipe is the bomb! Be careful with the seasoning amounts however, the meat portion listed is a single portion, yet the seasoning amounts are good for two.. especially the Asian red chili sauce - Dave & I love hot food, and can take quite a bit, I would suggest if you're the least bit wimpy, to just add it after cooking, to taste. We actually had them Saturday for lunch with ground turkey, then again tonight for dinner with minced sirloin steak ~ Mmmmm!

Next.. I remembered some mineral powder sunscreen I have that is very good! The brand is Colorescience, and I order their products on http://skincarerx.com/ they have very speedy shipping which is free if you order a certain amount and are always sending coupons if you are a regular customer. They have a lot of great skincare products, but I thought the sunscreen especially would be good while on this diet!

Dining Out on HCG

First, THANK YOU Lori and Em for the caffiene ideas! As a previous non-consumer of caffiene and as someone who does not like coffee or tea, I decided to "suck it up" and "wait it out." No headache on the third day and I am definitely less tired!

Now, in other news. . . As a single chick, my opportunities to engage with human beings often occur in bars or restaurants. Here's how I handled such this weekend.

Friday night, met a girlfriend for dinner at CHELSEA'S KITCHEN (40th Street, north of Camelback). Server there was FANTASTIC and especially accommodating. I order the seafood of the day (Cod maybe? It was a white fish, but I don't remember which.). She switched steamed vegetables for the rice. I ate only part of the portion and drank Perrier. Still lost weight the next day.

Saturday morning, went to breakfast at U.S. EGG on (Greenway Parkway, west of 7th Street). They were equally accommodating. I had an egg poached hard and four Saltines (Unfortunately, no appropriate vegetable choices), along with club soda. Afterward, I started freaking out thinking that they probably poached the egg on a pan that had oil. Still lost 1.5 pounds today. BUT, will order a hard-boiled egg next time I go out to breakfast.

ANYWAY, eating out can be done with some mental work beforehand and prefacing your order with, "I'm so sorry to ask this. I am on this crazy-ass diet. . . "

: )

HCG Failure?

Today is the second day of the diet and fourth day of the drops for me. I HAVE indeed lost weight - so far a total of 5.5 pounds, although my scale indicates that my body fat percentage has not changed.

But, I feel sooooooooooo tired and quite a bit headachey. I went to bed at 7:00 last night! The B-12 drops haven't seemed to help - and I don't love the taste. : ) I believe the book says that the first three days can render such results. However, it seems that those of you on the Blog have had only positive results. I feel discouraged. It will be hard to maintain this if I am going to be tired and have a headache every day - so I am holding out hope that this will only be for three days.

So. . .
Positive: Lost weight! Not physically hungry. Like that we're eating healthy foods.
Con: Feel icky. Body fat percentage remains unchanged. AND, have to get through Easter with my Big Fat Greek Family without eating!

HEY LADIES......

Thanks to Lori and her incessant need to "get to the bottom" of something, we now have a list of approved cosmetics, And not to ruin the surprise but.... You can wear whatever you want on your damn lips!! ha ha ha!

COSMETICS
Most women find it hard to believe that fats, oils, creams and ointments applied to the skin are absorbed and interfere with weight reduction by HCG just as if they had been eaten. This almost incredible sensitivity to even such very minor increases in nutritional intake is a peculiar feature of the HCG method. During the HCG protocol, it is critical that you eliminate the intake of oils, which includes oils applied externally in the form of lotions, cleansers, and cosmetics. With the exception of the approved products, cosmetics are prohibited.

Approved Product List, The following products are advertised as oil free:

Clinique
• Moisture Surge Extra
• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
• Face moisturizers

Lancôme Aqua Fusion: Tinted and non-tinted moisturizer, with SPF and without.
• Pure Focus: Toner, Cleanser, Scrub, Moisturizer, T-zone gel.
• Absolue: Anti-aging, Wrinkle Defying Face Moisturizer. Pump only is oil free.
• Renergie: Anti-aging, Wrinkle Defying Face Moisturizer. Pump only is oil free.

Shiseido
• Pureness: Face Moisturizer.

Chanel
• Tient: Innocence and Pro Lumiere: base/foundation/compact
• Purete: Line of facial cleansers and blemish control products

Estee Lauder
• Individualist: Double wear: Foundation (liquid and powder)

Kiehl's
• Sodium PCA and Yerba Mate lotion

Almay:
• Eye Make-up remover, paste and gel

Neutrogena: Oil-free Moisture, Face Lotion

Naked Minerals
• Bare and Naked Minerals makeup is 100% natural - from foundations to shadows, blushes and lip glazes. These products contain no artificial colors, fillers, binders or preservatives.

Body Lotions
• Body and Earth: Available at grocery stores.
• Johnson's Baby Lotion
• Aloe Vera gel has been found by some to be a good moisturizer. Available at most drug stores.

Lips
• Dr. Simeons does not restrict the use of lip products.
• Tip: Some people put Carmex on their knuckles to relieve dry cracked skin.

Hair
• Biologe
• Tip: Any shampoo and conditioner is okay if you rinse thoroughly after each use. Leave in conditioner is discouraged.
• Do NOT color your hair while on this protocol

Deodorant
• Natural crystal deodorant stick available at www.herbalremedies.com. Also available at many drug stores.

DISCLAIMER: The following products/ingredients should be used with caution: lanolin, glycerin,petrolatum, petroleum jelly, Carmex, mineral oil, beeswax. Many patients have used these products for the relief of symptoms of dry skin and chapped lips, without a negative effect on their weight loss. However, if you notice a slowing or drop off in your weight loss while using any of the above products,we recommend discontinuing use.

Well that really chaps my...

So I gave in...
Broke down and put some balm on my lips - Just when I thought they were actually improving, I smiled big and the bottom one cracked and bled! I did read up, and baby sis posted the stuff I found. I got an organic balm by Alba, it has beeswax, but it's not one of the first ingredients listed. We'll see how things go from here, and if everything is A-OK, maybe I can save those who haven't started from pain & suffering!

Off with the pounds...

When I got on the scale this morning, I had to get Dave for another set of eyes... loosing a pound a day has certainly not been a disappointment, but the 3 pounds this morning was an awesome way to start the day! I'm down five total, and another three for Dave puts him down eight!!

Still feeling great, the program seems pretty routine now, and I personally tend to thrive with routine. I am loving the fact I have a grapefruit tree... acceptable fruit at my disposal :)

Spreading like Wildfire!

Well the word is out, or the "jig is up, the news is out" - in the words of Styx, in any case - it's catching on! I want to welcome Kelly, Todd, Dave #2 (yes now we have two Jerry's and two Dave's!) and Ashley to our community of SKINNY BITCHES! Jerry (boy) will be sending me the goods to distribute next week so soon we will be hearing even MORE success stories. (This is the part where you make sure you are added as a contributor so you can start writing - really, we can't leave it all up to Lori and Emily!!)

Good luck to you, my friends and family. I wish happiness, health, and a smaller size jeans to all of you!!!

It's a whole new world out there!! I am blogging by texting from my phone!! Gotta love techology!

Day 2 Food Day 5 Drops

So far so good... some of the "earlier" side effects have lessened. Which is actually safer for everyone.... given my pre-disposition to being single and Rick's work in Atlanta.

I was not hungry today. I was energetic and also happy. I was optimistic. Which is actually a bit of a noticeable difference, JB will concur.

My food consisted of 6 strawberries eaten at 10, spinach and 3.5 oz of steak at 12:30, unsweetened tea at 12-2 (I savored), red grapes at 4:30 (although I almost forgot to eat these), then post trip to grocery store I made the yummie thai scallops in the recipe and ate 4 with green beans. Now I'm on all kinds of ice water.

All in all a beautiful day. Take a look at the dinner - I must admit it was AMAZING!

Life is good!

Is it the diet, the drops, the new health & beauty products, the idea of positive results the program should bring, some or all of this, or none of it at all..... ?? I feel like a new me, I stopped taking Aleve and glucosamine daily, and my back hasn't hurt at all the last two days! My skin feels great!! My hair feels great, and has gone perfectly the last two days!!! I feel focused at work!!!! I only lost one more pound, but I already feel better~ wierd even my bra felt looser this morning!!!!! Dave lost two more pounds, so he is down five already, and I am so happy for him and he looked better than normal this morning too!!!!!!

Whatever it is... I LIKE IT!!! I do have to say that when I was pregnant, I felt the best of my entire life, so maybe the drops are key. The only negative report - my chapped lips.. but they appear to be getting better. Here's to everyone in hopes you feel this way, being only day 3 it makes me look forward to the remaining weeks :)

Day 2...

Weighed in this morning 1 lb down, Dave down 3! Work was a bit of a whirlwind, I ate both fruits and lunch later than normal, didn't get hungry at all. Drinking lots of water, and seemed to need fewer trips to the ladies room today than yesterday. So now for the really wierd part... I feel like I have loads of energy, like I want to do some strenuous exercise, just waiting for Dave to get home and see how he feels.. Hope everyone else has a positive experience, and hope the remaining weeks go as smooth.

Survived Day 1...

Well, we survived day 1.. not too bad I must say, Dave was quite worn out tonight, but that was likely due to a sketchy night's sleep and having to be in the office 2 hours earlier than normal. We did still take a nice long walk around the neighborhood with Bandit before having our dinner; we made mojo from the recipe pages and lightly marinated sirloin steaks, we also drizzled some on broccoli, put it in a foil pocket, and cooked both on the grill outside... very yummy! My biggest problem is definitely going to be chapped lips! Coconut oil is OK, but it just absorbs quickly which I am not used to. Then I made the mistake of wearing lipstick for a couple of days, which just doesn't agree with me :( I'm going to try and go bare-lipped for a while to see if it improves. Thanks to Heather for that latest round of info! We just finished reading all of the medical jargon regarding obesity and how this program works, it was eye opening! It gave Dave a new reason to do this, and do it right! Everything is packaged and ready to go for day 2..... Stay tuned~

Day three - Randy

I am now on day three of the drops. However, the first two days I was in San Diego and might have taken fewer drops than I should have - LUCKILY.

The first side effect I noticed was that I was a bit hotter. The second side effect was that all men were a BIT HOTTER - outside of my brother there hasn't been a single man this hasn't applied to. For those of you who know me I am typically incredibly logical and make very well-thought out decisions. Sharing a cab on the way to the airport with a new acquaintance my thoughts were very risque as we discussed the ultrasound conference we'd both just attended. RIGHT.

At the airport we said our goodbyes and I became attracted to the TSA officer followed by the man behind the counter when I ordered a HOT DOG (ah ha ha ha - apropriate). It hasn't gotten much better since then. HELP!

Otherwise my side effects have been mild nausea the first day with lack of appetite every day.

Starting the BIG 500 tomorrow - hope I can find a way to eat all of those calories! Am I going to starve?

Testing, one... two... Is this thing on???

Ok - I have heard from all of you about your learnings and experiences with HCG but for some reason.... you are not posting them!! It's real easy, I can walk you through it if you want... Or - if you want me to post something for you, I can do that. I just want to make sure that we have a central repository for our SUCCESS stories. Remember, we are all starting at different times and we are going to need each others support after the drops to keep the weight off.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Lori May

First time blogger, love your show :)
Dave and I started our drops this morning, so 3 days of fairly typical eating before the big plunge! I have normally had my morning snack, a V8 & string cheese by now, but I'm really not even hungry.. Assuming that may be due to the drops, so very encouraging! We did start using crystal deoderant, organic shampoo, conditioner & body wash with no oils or lanolin, and my face and body got the cornhusker treatment.. Face feels a little tight, but body feels fine. We are using regular toothpaste and I am wearing mascarra, made a conscious effort not to get it right next to my skin. We're both excited, but a bit nervous, and looking forward to our last movie popcorn in a very long while tomorrow :)

Really.... it works!

So I went to the store to buy some organic health care products as was suggested and one of the purchases I made was the "Crystal" deodorant. If I would have known how well this stuff worked I would have bought it YEARS ago. And it's not like I didn't really test it either... I flew to San Francisco, sat in a hotel conference room with 15 other stressed out people, went to a crowded Jazz club and flew home, and no wetness and no stink! I suggest you get it. Also, I bought Abra shampoo and conditioner, Tom's toothpaste and Corn Huskers lotion - I like them all! Just know - the only place I could find the Corn Huskers lotion is Wal Mart and even though I typically don't like to purchase anything from Wal Mart (I don't believe in their employment practices) I bought three bottles! I haven't started the drops yet - I am waiting until the first of April, but I figured I should get use to this regiment!

What kind of new things are you trying??

To dye or not to dye....

Even harder than only eating 500 calories a day, is not wearing lotion or makeup! I live in a desert and have dry skin - ugh! My face is going to crack without moisturizer which wouldn't be such a big deal if I could cover it with makeup but I can't! So, I am thinking that I will dye my eyelashes before I start and then just wear my mineral makeup, which is approved, and just deal with the itchy dry skin. Hopefully drinking all that additional water will help my skin stay moist! Anybody else have any ideas??

HCG - Yes or No??

Wow! I got all of the HCG information from Merianne and Jerry today - I'm not use to following this many rules!! I really want to do this and be successful but I can tell you now, it's not going to be easy!! When I call one of you crying because I am hungry or want a Dr. Pepper - remind me of how hot I will look like when I get my 30's body back.

I thought that by creating this blog, we would be able to keep in touch and give inspiration to each other when needed. PLEASE take time to come out here and document your experiences and read the experiences of others. It's important that we support each other! You don 't have to put information about your starting and ending weight but we would all be interested in knowing how much weight everyone is loosing daily.

So.... eat up now because.... 500 calories a day is not a lot! Ugh!