Day 23- VLCD

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
grilled onion hamburger steak
roma tomato

Snack:
apple

Dinner:
1 whole hard boiled egg
1 white only hard boiled egg
This is allowed "very occasionally" according to the protocol.

Snack:
apple

Day 22- VLCD

Today was an odd day. I didn't get to eat much today. I didn't want to cheat, and I was out and about. So, I just didn't eat. Truth be told, I wasn't really hungry anyway.

Did you notice the day?? I am HALFWAY through my 40 days of HCG injections!!!!!!!!!!!!! This makes me happy!!! Especially since I have already lost 17.6 lbs! I know my weight loss won't be as much since I lost 10 lbs that first week that I started. I don't seem to be loosing that much lately. I have had a lot of .8 days. Why, I am not sure. While it is frustrating, I am going to be happy that I am loosing at all!

Breakfast:
Water

Lunch:
Onion Hamburger steak

Snack:
1/2 grapefruit

Dinner:
Water

Day 21- VLCD

Oh-My-Gosh.... I had to type that really slow because that is how tired I am. Today we helped my sister move. I really only ate 1 thing right from the protocol. However- I did eat in moderation... Not sure if that makes me feel better or not. What is done, is done. I can't take it back now- just praying that helping her move burned off what I did eat!

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
1.5 ozs BBQ pork (thank goodness, it is all gone now!)
1/2 grapefruit

Snacking throughout the day... :{
1 McDonald's french fry (no lie- I really did only eat 1!!)
1 McDonald's chicken nugget...again really, only had 1!
less than 20 skittles (holding my head in shame)

Dinner:
3oz roast - I ate the meat at the top, so I knew it hadn't been sitting in the fat juice at the bottom. This probably really was okay according to protocol since it is beef.

I did not get all my water in that I should have. I was thirsty though. I have chapped lips to prove it!

Tomorrow is another day, right?

Day 20- VLCD

I woke this morning and had only lost .6 lbs again. My fingers are swollen, so I know I am retaining some water. Today was a decent day- I was craving food...and kind of food that I am not allowed to have on the diet. I really hate it when that happens.

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
onion hamburger steak

Dinner:
BBQ pork (whoopsie)

Okay, Okay, the bbq pork is NOT on the diet protocol... But, I did measure it all out! excuses, right? I know... *sigh*

Day 19- VLCD

Today was an extremely busy day! I had taken food with me in case I got hungry, but I really didn't have the time to eat! We had an Easter egg hunt, plus two birthday parties. Do you know what I think of when I think of those events? Chocolate, cake, more cake, and ice cream! lol But, I didn't have any of it!!! *happy dance*

The bad thing- because I had not eaten much I was feeling very ravenous when I did get home. My friend had sent home some pulled pork and I was getting it ready for the rest of the family...and I ate some :{ I didn't eat that much. I know pork is not on the list- and neither is the bbq sauce that it was covered with. But, I also knew I had a few calories to spare because I hadn't eaten any of my fruits, breads, or veggies. It was a risk I was willing to take. I think sometimes you might have to do that to keep yourself going. Either way, I am eating way better than I was before I started this diet.

Another thing about today is my water. I drank, and drank, and drank some more and was still extremely thirsty!! All the while, I hardly went to the restroom at all. I'm not really sure what all that is about. I just know I was tired of being so thirsty!

I only lost .6lbs this morning. I did think that was a little weird since I followed the diet to a "T" yesterday. But, at least I lost!

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
3oz steak (ate this at 11am because I knew we were going to be out at noon when I normally eat)

Dinner:
3oz chicken breast (7:30pm- usually eat at 5:30)
pulled pork with bbq sauce. I would guess about 1.5ozs?



Tomorrow's another day....

Day 18- VLCD

Today was just a day. I was sad the scale only went down by 1 lbs. I know I should be happy- and I am. I was really hoping the higher dose of hcg would help boost me into a bigger losing zone. Oh well..c'est la vie!

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
3oz grilled hamburger steak w/onions

Snack:
5 strawberries

Dinner:
3oz chicken breast
1 roma tomato

Snack:
apple yummyness!

Day 17- VLCD R1P2W3

Today was a decent day. It started off with the scale saying I had lost 2lbs, so that was motivation to keep going! Good thing because I had the chance to eat 2 (TWO!!) cupcakes...and passed them both up! Today was my daughter's birthday. I thought about it in advance and decided it would be best to buy a pack of 6 pre-made cupcakes rather than to bake a cake and have the temptation of it here with me. It works out perfectly because there are 6 people in my family! The birthday girl got to eat my cupcake. Don't worry, she didn't mind one bit! I even passed them out and got icing on my fingers and didn't lick it off. It was a great test. Easter should be a breeze, right?

Oh, I was feeling hungry today. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that I didn't start really drinking my water until later in the day. I really need to drink it earlier in the day. Weird thing- I hate using public bathrooms so if I know that I am going to be out and about I try to lay low on the water intake. Since I helped out at the kids' school today, then had to get cuppycakes afterwards I didnt get home till around 2. I have since managed to get down almost a whole gallon of water since. Yes, I will be up all night again tonight making several trips to the bathroom. It reminds me of being pregnant!

Breakfast:
Water

Lunch:
onion burger
5 to 6 strawberries

Dinner:
100 grams steak
1 roma tomato
apple yummyness!

Day 16- VLCD

Easy Peasy, Lemon Sqeezy! That about sums up how my day on the diet went! Tonight was the first time that I went out and others were eating and I did not partake. I did take my apple though to make my yummy goodness with while I was there. And, it was good!! I think my new favorite thing to eat is my onion burger. All I did was measure out 100 grams of ground beef (94/6), cut up some onions and add them to the meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then shape into hamburgers. Hubby grilled them for me and omg, they are SO good! I have been craving them! I need to go to the store to get more meat!

Anyway, today marks the end of week 2 for me. I did up my intake of hcg to 150 today instead of 125. I was doing fine at 125, but wanted to see if I could loose a bit more by jumping up to 150. Yes, I want to loose more, but- I don't want to have to deal with the hunger issues. It really wasn't a problem today though, so I am happy about that. Or course, it could be that I drank over a gallon of water!!!


Breakfast:
Water


Lunch:
Chicken breast
1 roma tomato

Snack:
5 strawberries

Dinner:
hamburger steak with onions

Snack:
apple yummyness!

Day 15- VLCD

Today was a great day! I have found a water that I like!! So, I have drank a gallon of water today!!! I am VERY proud of myself for that!!

Breakfast:
Water

Lunch:
3oz steak
5 strawberries

Dinner:
3oz chicken breast
1 roma tomato
1/2 grapefruit

TONS of water!!!! :) :) :)

HCG Diet protocol

Dr. Simeons book- Pounds and Inches

Day 14- VLCD

Today has been a fairly easy day. I went to the health food store and got the Walden Farms ranch and bbq dressing. I forgot to try it with my dinner!

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
100 grams hambuger steak with onions in it (yumm-O)

Dinner:
100 grams grilled chicken breast
1 roma tomato

Didn't drink enough water

Day 13- VLCD

The scale showed that I gained another lb today. I do not like me or the scale today!!!!!!!!


Breakfast:
Water

Lunch:
3oz steak
1/2 grapefruit

Dinner:
3oz shrimp
1 large apple (cinnamon baked)

Day 12- VLCD

Okay, lesson learned. The hcg diet is a really good diet- unless you cheat! I woke up this morning and had gained a lb. I am sad. I thought it might happen, but I also thought maybe not since I had swam for 2hrs. Live and learn? :{

Breakfast:
Water

Lunch:
3oz steak
1 roma tomato
1/2 grapefruit

Dinner:
3oz chicken
cucumber
1/2 grapefruit

Day 11- VLCD WHY??

Well... I am SO mad at myself. My sister and I took the kids swimming about and hour a way to an indoor pool. About 15mins from there, is an awesome chicken place that we love. It's always been a tradition to go there every year on spring break after taking the kids swimming. Well, today the kids were begging to go and my sister wanted to go, and...and...and...we went. I actually didn't eat too horribly while there. They have absolutely nothing on their menu of 10 items that does fall into the diet protocol. So...I am not sure how that will go over with the hcg thing. I am scared to see the scale in the morning. At least I did two hours of swimming so that maybe helped burn off some calories that I ate. I still feel like a dumb dumb. I can tell you, the food definitely didn't taste THAT good.

Breakfast:
water

Lunch:
6 strawberries
3oz chicken breast

Dinner:
cheat- :{

Day 10- VLCD R1P2W2

A week ago today I started the phase 2 of this diet- the very low calorie part. I weighed in today exactly 11lbs less than what I did when I started!!! Not only that, but I took my second week pictures today and I can definitely notice a difference!! So, I am pretty excited!

Breakfast:
Water

Lunch:
3oz steak
1/2 grapefruit

Dinner:
3oz shrimp
1 roma tomato
1/2 grapefruit

My hunger was less today. I managed to drink quite a bit more water today than what I have been and early on. The only things I am somewhat concerned about is that 1- I got my hair cut today and the girl used some product on my hair. I am not sure what it was. And 2- I got my eyebrows waxed and the girl used baby oil after. I asked her to use baby oil because I was pretty sure that it was okay to use. Not sure about the hair products though. I am just going to cross my fingers that they look okay and be happy to be beautified!!

Day 9- VLCD

Today I had to get out and run some errands. Oh, I wish I could stay in my house forever! It was not nice driving past all the fast food places and thinking about the food that I would have normally got from there. But, that is part of the reason I am as fat as I am now. I love out to eat food and I think we all know how UNhealthy it is for us. So, I continued to think about all the positives about NOT going to one of those places while I drove home. I really just wanted some ice cream!

"Nothing tastes better than being thin feels"- Kate Moss

A lot of people won't understand this quote. But, if you are like me and were born overweight or have been overweight enough of your life to be sick of it, you will probably agree with the possibilities of the truth. I know at one time in my life I got down to 160lbs and it felt great! I still wasn't thin though. I was thin for me and that felt great, but I still longed to be thinner. It has been 8 1/2 years, a breakup, a marriage, and 2 babies since I was 160lbs. After all that, the weight just came back on- plus some. I am sooo ready for it to be gone again!

I guess I just needed to reflect on some things for the day. Today marks 1 week of me being on the very low calorie diet (VLCD). My weight loss thus far is 10 lbs. Only 15 more to go to reach my short term goal! My sweet husband also bribed me with a nice little wallet when I reach my goal. So, I really want to reach it! Yes, I am a person that thrives well with incentives!!


Breakfast:
water

Snack:
1/2 grapefruit (just doesn't seem like that much)

Lunch:
3oz chicken breast
1 roma tomato

Snack:
1pc Melba toast

Dinner:
3oz steak
5-6 slices cucumber
baked apple yumminess

I didn't drink enough water today. That water is killing me!!!

What is the diet?

The diet is pretty simple to follow, but will only work if you are taking HCG in some form.

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 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. Many patients are afraid to drink so much because they fear that this may make them retain more water. This is a wrong notion as the body is more inclined to store water when the intake falls below its normal requirements.

The fruit or the breadstick may be eaten between meals instead of with lunch or dinner, but not more than than four items listed for lunch and dinner may be eaten at one meal.

No medicines or cosmetics other than lipstick, eyebrow pencil and powder may he used without special permission

Day 8- VLCD

Today was a decent day. My eating was too late most of the day. I think that really affects with my weight loss. So, I am going to work on this as well. And stupid, stupid water. 'nuff said!

Breakfast:
yucky water

Snack:
none

Lunch:
3.0oz steak
baby spinach

Snack:
1/2 grapefruit

Dinner:
3.5oz chicken breast
1 roma tomato
1/6 of apple in my cinnamony apple bake

Stupid water!

I knew my not drinking my water correct yesterday was going to come back to get me. I only lost .6lbs this morning. Yes, it is still a loss...but I wanted to see me. Okay, I will be more patient. Hey, at least I learned my lesson. Drink my water all throughout the day like I am supposed to.

So far, I am on the right track for that today! Let's hope that I keep it that way for the rest of the day!

Day 7- VLCD

Water? Really- WHY do I hate water so much? And because I hate it so much I torture myself with it at the end of each day. Like drinking 48ozs of it within the last hour before I go to bed. Yes, everyone can see the answer to that problem. Either I a)get up all night to go potty or b)pee the bed! I really don't like either option. Good thing tomorrow is a new day!

Breakfast:
water

Snack:
Strawberries, diced up and sprinkled with Truvia (yummy!)
Melba toast

Lunch:
shredded lettuce sprinkled with lemon juice (i hate lettuce, but this was o-kay :|)
3.5ozs chicken breast

Snack:
1 Orange

Dinner:
3.5ozs steak
1 roma tomato


*******************************

Something I noticed- I had read on other sites that the grapefruit and orange can seem to not last and make you hungry again.. This was my first time to eat an orange on this diet. I didn't really get hungry, but it was the first time I started feeling a bit shaky or something. It was odd. I started drinking my water and got dinner for the family ready (they all got to eat spaghetti!) so I could eat too. Since eating dinner, I have not had any issues with how I was feeling. So, could be the orange- might not be. I will try it again (maybe tomorrow) and see how it goes. It was definitely yummy!

Sleep!! I got sleep!!

I normally don't get very good sleep because 2 of our kids are crazy sleepers! They both come in get in bed with us every morning around 4:30am. One in between us, and one on the other side of me. It gets hard to sleep with no way to get comfortable and no room. So, last night when they came in I decided no more! I had the one get in bed with his brother and the other I convinced to get back in her bed with our warm doggie! It worked! I went back to my bed and sleep the best I have in quite a while now! The only thing is...it made me sleep later than normal so I had to take my HCG later than I normally do...by 2 HOURS! I hope that won't affect anything.. :\

The only other thing it really makes a difference with is my water. I have a little schedule that I like to follow. Like...drink 24ozs before my morning snack.. Now I don't have as long to gulp my water down. *wah* I hate water!

Day 6- VLCD

Today was GREAT!! I was not hungry at and if I got a headache, I don't remember it!!! Considering how addicted I was to Mt Dew, I think I am making great progress! I am still having a hard time taking in all the water that I feel like I should be. But, I am working on it!!

Breakfast:
Water

Snack:
Strawberries

Lunch:
3.5oz shrimp
1 roma tomato

Snack:
none

Dinner:
3.5oz Sirloin steak
cucumbers
yummy cinnamon apples

Shots!?!?

When I have told people about the HCG diet, they generally stop at the word "shots" You don't have to do the hcg diet with shots. There are 3 different ways to take HCG. Copied from online website...

Oral hCG vs. Transdermal hCG vs. hCG Injections

I am often asked what the difference is between the various ways you can take HCG for weight loss. There is Oral hCG, Transdermal hCG and the oldie but goody hCG Injections. But what are the pros and cons, both in terms of convenience as well as effectiveness?

In truth, Oral hCG is a misnomer. You cannot take hCG orally in the true sense of term, because as soon as hCG hits the stomach, the digestive enzymes and acids in the stomach destroy the hCG. So what people are calling ‘Oral hCG’ is properly known as Sublingual hCG (which means ‘under the tongue’).

Anyone claiming that you can swallow an hCG solution like any other liquid is misinformed - it simply won’t work and will render the hCG completely ineffective.

OK, but does Sublingual hCG work? Yes. But the caveat is you need to take twice as much (2 doses daily versus 1 dose for injections or transdermal gel).

Also, hCG is very unstable once mixed into a solution, so the only way to take hCG sublingually is to either mix the solution at home from the hCG powder shipped to you (which is in a stable form) or to have the hCG solution shipped to you overnight in a refridgerated package.

As soon as hCG liquid is exposed to heat for any length of time, it is rendered ineffective. Therefore, you have to either get your supply of sublingual hCG from a vendor that knows how to ship it refridgerated, or mix up your own batch.

The Injection form of hCG is typically shipped in 2 vials: the hCG powder and a vial of bacteriostatic water. Before injecting the hCG, one mixes the powder with the special water and stores the solution in the fridge for the remaining cycle of injections (it will keep refridgerated for several months). This has to be done in a sterile environment so you need to know what you are doing.

Transdermal hCG (or hCG Transdermal Gel) is a gel you rub on your skin and the hCG transfers through your skin. The advantages are obvious: no injections, no need to taste the solution, and no need to dose twice daily.

However, hCG gel has the same unstable properties as the oral (sublingual) hCG - it becomes useless if exposed to heat. Therefore, this form of hCG also needs to be shipped in a refridgerated package.

Due to this need for refridgeration, the price of pre-mixed oral hCG or transdermal gel is more expensive. This extra cost is because of the blending and compounding needed to create the product as well as the added packaging and shipping costs.

For this reason, a lot of people opt for the hCG Injections (as unpleasant as this can be to most people) OR they simply acquire their hCG in powder form and mix their own sublingual solution at home. There are various recipes that can be found online for mixing your own oral hCG - the only standardized solution is Releana, but that can only be purchased from a Releana provider, since it is a patent-pending version of sublingual hCG.

So what’s the best way to take hCG?

If cost is the chief concern (and trumps the unpleasantness of injections), you can’t get any less expensive than either self-injecting or mixing your own sublingual hCG. The added cost of dosing twice daily required when taking hCG orally is balanced with the cost of syringes and assorted paraphrenalia needed when injecting, so it’s a wash.

If you can afford it, the Transdermal hCG gel is the most convenient and least intensive way to go, but costs a little more.

Day 5- VLCD

I know my post titles are so boring, but I am trying to count down my days to be done with this phase. No, the phase isn't that hard- I just want to have a little bit more freedom! Today was a weird day. For some reason, my legs felt like mush all day long- as if I had run a marathon the day before. Nothing tasted good- not even my water. I didn't drink all the water I wanted to, in fact only about half :| whoops!

Breakfast:
Water

Snack:
Strawberries
1pc Melba Toast

Lunch:
3.5ozs chicken breast
1 cup shredded lettuce

Snack:
Cinnamony Apple Bake

Dinner:
1 roma tomato
few bites of hamburger meat. It didn't taste good to me, so I didn't finish it.

I didn't eat 1 piece of the Melba toast, and I only had about 1 ounce of the meat for dinner. I wasn't hungry though so I figure it was fine... I hope it was!

Day 4- VLCD

Today was a little harder than day 1. I wasn't as hungry, but I guess my body was getting rid of all the junk it's addicted to because I had a headache for most of the day. Late evening was hard because I had gotten into the habit of watching tv and snacking before going to bed. So, I am going to bed a little earlier than what I wanted to. There's nothing wrong with extra sleep, right?

Breakfast:
water

Snack:
Yummy Cinnamon & Sugar (Truvia) Baked Apple
1 piece Melba toast

Lunch:
3.5 oz sirloin steak
5-6 slices cucumber

Snack:
Cinnamon & Sugar Baked Apple
1 piece Melba toast

Dinner:
3.5ozs ground beef
2 roma tomatos

Day 3- VLCD R1P2W1

Today was my first day of the VLCD. (Very Low Calorie Diet) Overall, it has gone pretty well. I did start to get a headache, but drank a horrible cup of coffee and it seemed to go away. I have not been hungry- but have had more of just the desire to eat! Water has been my friend today!

Breakfast:
water

Snack:
3 large strawberries
1 piece wheat Melba toast

Lunch:
100 grams sirloin steak (cooked on George Foreman grill with seasoning YUMMY)
1 roma tomato

Snack:
1 apple
1 piece wheat Melba toast

Dinner:
1/2 cup 94/6 ground beef cooked in skillet, drained, and rinsed (added seasoning)
5-6 slices of cucumber

Water-
as of now, 100 ounces

Diet Overview

I have been over weight my entire life. The only times I ever remember being smaller I had to work out 2-3hrs a day and eat virtually nothing. Even with all that, I only got down enough to be considered overweight instead of obese.

I was recently introduced to the HCG diet and have decided to give it a try. I think I will really like it because it goes in phases and I can count down until the next phase. It is like I automatically see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Long Term goal:
I am hoping to loose about 120lbs. I will be happy if I can loose 90lbs.

1st Short Term goal:
25lbs by 07/08/10

Day 2- Load Day

Eat as much fat as possible!

Our life group went to Buffalo Wild wings for dinner. Had I known we were going there tonight, I would have gone elsewhere yesterday for lunch!

The food make me sick. I didn't get the last taste of Braum's ice cream like I wanted to before tomorrow. Oh well...

Day 1- Load Day

Eat as much fat as possible.

I took the kids to buffalo wild wings...Nuff said! lol