HCG Lessons Learned

I'm back on HCG again. I really do love being on this diet. I thought I'd share a few of the lessons I've learned from my third round of HCG.

I tried the diet for the first time back in August and lost 18 lbs. I gained 5 back. I did the diet again in October-ish, and lost another 15ish. I gained every single pound back within 4 weeks. I've now been on the diet again for 15 days and I've lost 17 lbs.

What I learned from the second attempt on the diet is that I could cheat and enjoy the diet a whole lot more. And then I discovered that, what I think is a result of the cheating, I couldn't keep the weight off at all. So here in round 3 I am doing my very best to not cheat at all. (Last week I couldn't help myself and ate 5 french fries and 2 bites of cheddar cheese and gained 2 lbs. Talk about not worth it!)

I've also discovered that my body just might have a limit as to how much weight I can lose. In round 2 I approached my current weight and couldn't pass it. I just stalled out and couldn't lose any more, no matter how hard I tried, and what more I did. This round I've hit the same weight and nothing is happening. I can't seem to lose anymore!

I'm actually perfectly happy at this weight. But I am fairly sure I will probably gain back a few pounds, so I'd like to lose just a little more so that I can settle at where I'm at. I like this weight. I think it looks good, and I feel good.

All in all, I still highly recommend the HCG diet. It isn't easy, and you do have to be willing to make some serious sacrifices and stick to the diet.

My gift to the 15 people a day who google hcg and find my blog- my favorite HCG friendly recipe.

Take a granny smith apple, slice it into disks, sprinkle a little cinnamon on it, and grill it on the Foreman grill. Eat it nice and hot and juicy. It is so good that I plan to keep eating it long after this diet is over with.

HCG Before and After Weight Loss Pictures

Well, this round of HCG has finally come to an end. You can read about my first experience with the HCG diet here. And here you can learn more about the HCG diet from the company I bought from and recommend.

Now for the moment of truth.

You have seen my before pictures-

 

(I hate this picture now!)

How it looked after I lost the first 20 lbs!

 

And how it looks after losing another 18!

(how nice of my dog to try and butt in to 2 of the pictures. I guess that's what happens when I spend too much time by the front door and don't let her out!)

Because I did put about 4 lbs on between rounds and things haven't really settled down yet (it takes a few days back on normal foods to know where you are going to land), I've only lost about 30-35 lbs. I can live with that! I lost a total of NINE INCHES off around my waist! I love it!

I am donating my old clothes to both Janae and Juli who are both on the HCG diet as well (36 lbs off for Janae, and 20 for Juli so far!). I am currently down to exactly 3 t-shirts, 2 sweaters, 1 old coat, 1 party dress, and 1 pair of jeans that fit. Not one other thing in my closet fits me without being obviously a size or two too big! Thankfully I'm headed to my fashion mothership next week and plan to buy several new outfits. Until then, don't be surprised if you see me holding up my pants funny.

I am still 18 lbs away from my high school weight. I am currently exactly what I weighed 10 years ago when i got diagnosed with a thyroid condition and slowly but surely started gaining weight. Not one diet ever has ever made me lose more than 8 lbs. I have always been able to lose 8 lbs just to put it all back on in one cheeseburger dinner. (Not joking!) This is the first diet I have ever successfully completed where I have lost the weight and kept it off. In the interest of full disclosure, I was also given the "all-cured" on my thyroid condition last April. For the first time in ten years, my thyroid is fully functioning and normal. I think because of that my body was finally able to lose weight. And knowing my body and my shortcomings, this diet was the only way that would happen.

So now I enter into the next phase. Essentially it is what I call the "no-white" diet. No white foods- no sugar, no flour, no rice, no potatoes. I'll do that for as long as possible (which may not last long since I'll be in NYC in a week). As of right now I plan to go back on the diet just after Christmas. (load days over christmas should be perfect!) If I can lose another 15-20 lbs then, I will be down to my high school and pre-thyroid condition weight. And that, my friends, would be amazing!

One funny sidenote to mention- today I was a substitute teacher in Primary/Sunday School for 7 year olds. We were in the middle of discussing the all important Halloween costumes when one of the little girls looks right at my tummy and says, "Are you having a baby in there?" I said "No, but thanks for asking." (in a very sarcastic tone that the kid totally missed). The other teacher standing nearby looked me over and said, "I don't know why she asked that, you really don't look it." Thank goodness!

She's Going the Distance!

It was only a few months ago that I looked this awful. Part of me wants to tell you that I only kind of looked that bad. It was late at night, I was bloated from a LOT of Indian food and traveling, and that shirt wasn't doing my any favors. And of course, I'm standing next to my stick thin baby sister, which is also not helping things at all.
It was this picture specifically that made me decide to lose weight. I hate the way I look in it.
As you already know, I went on the HCG diet during August and lost 20 lbs.
And now I look like this-

This picture is 20 lbs lighter than the one above it.

And as of today, I am back on the HCG diet, attempting to lose another 20 lbs. And here's a surprise. If I make my goal of 20 lbs, I will only weigh 15 lbs more than my baby sister! (and no, I don't plan to lose even more weight than that. i happen to like myself with curves, just as long as they are in the right places.)

Want to see what I looked like at my baby sister's age and weight?

Oh and that would be the baby sister in the punk rocker outfit. (Why do kids always want to be that for Halloween?) She's probably 6 or 7 years old. I'm roughly 20 or 21. And no, I wasn't in a costume. I just loved wearing that dress. Personally, I think I'm too skinny in this picture. Look at that wretched skinny leg! (and white tights under a red dress? what was i thinking?) And I'll tell you a little secret. I was so thin and flat-chested then that I occasionally wouldn't wear a bra on laundry days. A tight fitting tank top worked just fine for my 28A. So no, I don't want to get back down that skinny again. I'll keep the 20 lbs and a need for a good sturdy underwire.

So stick around, and in about 20 more days I'll show you what 20 less pounds looks like!