HCG Diet Update – Last VLCD Day and Maintenance

I’ll be posting my daily progress under the title HCG Diet Update so you can blow right past it if you aren’t interested in whether this so-called “weight loss cure” works for me. My goal is to lose 28 pounds in 26 days and reach 132 pounds, what I weighed for years eating normally until I begin taking a migraine preventative medication in October of 2009. My husband and I are doing the diet together.

I’m not gonna lie. I limped to the finish line and didn’t do things the right way. Since Thursday was my last injection, I was supposed to stay on the 500-calorie diet until Sunday morning, to make sure all of the HCG was out of my system. That’s not exactly what happened.

I stayed on the diet all day, but we went out to dinner with friends last Saturday and I totally caved. I had seared tuna for an appetizer, grilled salmon with goat cheese and artichokes and lemon butter sauce, steamed vegetables, and three vodkas and diet Red Bull. I knew I would pay for that, and I did. Sunday morning I was up 1.6 pounds.

To make matters worse, I blew the first day of maintenance by having chips and salsa, goat cheese and table water crackers, and 2 Michelob Ultras. On maintenance I am not supposed to have any sugar or starch, but can otherwise eat normally. Crackers and chips? NOT ALLOWED. The next morning I had gained another .4 pounds.

I decided to suck it up and get back on the plan. I stayed faithfully on the maintenance diet and this morning I weighed less than my last day on the diet. I’m going to start working out again, finish the next two weeks or so of maintenance, and see if the weight stays off once I can eat pasta, bread and sugar again.

All in all, I would recommend this diet enthusiastically, under the supervision of a doctor. My husband is the real star of the story. He has made a complete lifestyle change. He eats a high-protein breakfast now, only has a drink on weekends, and is down 27 pounds. His blood pressure dropped to normal and he no longer snores. All of his clothes are falling off of him!

I lost 17 pounds and feel like my old self. No, that’s not true. I feel better than I have in years. I am certain that the processed food and sugar I was eating was zapping my energy. Food tastes really good to me now and I’m making good choices like protein for breakfast and less coffee. One cup is all I need. I now am completely and utterly addicted to apples. I have 2 – 3 a day.

There are a lot of critics of this diet. They say HCG does nothing, that it is only a placebo, and that 500 calories per day is dangerous. I say they are wrong. Clearly, the HCG does something important.

We weren’t hungry while we were getting the injections. It was difficult to eat all of the meals and the snacks even though it was only 500 calories a day. That’s just crazy. The only logical explanation is that Dr. Simeons was right and that the HCG causes the release of fat into your bloodstream, keeping you nourished and preventing the intense hunger you would expect on only 500 calories.

I think this diet worked so well for us because it was only for three weeks and we had each other for support. It also helped that we got tips and encouragement from friends who were successful on the diet.

I am really glad it’s over and I am really glad my jeans fit again.

My morning weights:

Day 22 (Saturday, 3/19 – Last day of the VLCD)
143.6

Sunday, 3/20 – First day of maintenance
145.2

Monday, 3/21
145.6

Tuesday, 3/22
146.0

Wednesday 3/23
145.4

Thursday 3/24
143.2

Overall mood: Happy and healthy.