H.C.G. Diet

H.C.G. Human chorionic gonadotropin Diet

I decided to take shots instead of trying the sub-lingual HCG. Shots have never bothered me. My wife works four days a week, and when she is home, she gives me my shot. The other days my oldest son who lives downstairs with his family gives it to me before he goes to work. Yes, I could give it to myself, but my hand shakes in certain positions, and the thought of breaking the needle off in my leg is not appealing. My wife cooks when she is home, and my daughter-in-law cooks for me the other times. Once in a while, my middle son, Jason, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, cooks.

It’s amazing what he can do with so little to work with. As you can see, I am well taken care of. It’s nice to be loved.
I have many rounds to go on the diet, and I don’t how many journals I will write. I thought I should do at least one.

VLCD = Very low calorie day (500 calories)

Day 1: Feb.29, 2008. Starting weight: 348
Had shot at 9:30 a.m. and started loading with a 3-egg steak omelet with cheese and onion at Waffle House. Picked up 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, ate one glazed on the way home, later ate two Boston cream filled, and a chocolate glazed. For lunch, ate a Checkers burger and a large order of fries. Not long after lunch, had a couple of glazed donuts. Between lunch and supper, ate ice cream, bread and butter, and English muffins with jelly. Supper consisted of a 14 oz. New York strip steak, three small baked potatoes with lots of butter, and brussels sprouts. At bedtime – 3/4 of a large Hershey dark chocolate bar.

Day 2
Had shot at 9:40 a.m. – by the way, my shots are 150 ml. First on the load list was two English muffins with strawberry jam. Thirty minutes later, had four pieces of french toast smothered in butter and maple syrup, three links beef sausage, two patties of beef sausage, and two orders of frozen hash browns. Between one and six o’clock, I ate various things – donuts, bread, fruit, homemade Challah (bread used for Sabbath) ice cream and so on. It was getting harder to eat. I felt really bloated, but thought it was important to eat as much as I could. Supper was two plates of spaghetti with four pieces of garlic bread, also had a few jalapenos. At bedtime, I had intended to eat the rest of the Hershey bar, but I couldn’t stand the sight of it. I told my wife to get rid of it, so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat it the next day.

Day 3: 1st VLCD
The scale said I had gained two pounds. Had shot about nine. I felt like something was missing. It was breakfast. I was hungry. It felt like hunger, but maybe it was the fact that I couldn’t have what I wanted. I often ate when I wasn’t hungry just to be doing something. It was a battle all day long. I have arthritis, and I was in a lot of pain. I also have diabetes, and my blood sugar was up to 215. I didn’t want to take my medication because I didn’t want the VLCD to make it drop too low. I didn’t say much to anyone, and they were wise enough to let me work it out. Lunch rolled around, and I had chicken breast (3.5 oz.), a tomato, and one medium apple. The meal fit my mood, not very good. At about 3 p.m., my sugar dropped to174. Supper was veal, beet greens, and half a grapefruit. I didn’t think I could enjoy beet greens without a lot of butter, but the wife spiced them with salt, pepper, and garlic, and they were delicious. What we ate for the day only added up to 408 calories, so we have to plan a little better. I checked my blood sugar at 9:45, and it was 102. There were three or four trips to the bathroom through the night.

Day 4: 2nd VLCD
I got on the scale, and to my amazement, I had lost 5.6 pounds. Wow. I had my shot about 8:30 a.m. I checked my blood sugar at 9:45, and it was 118. I was still experiencing pain although not quite as severe. The HCG must have kicked in, for the feeling of hunger was gone. I think what I’m going to have to look out for is getting bored. I didn’t have that euphoric feeling I’ve heard about, but it was a surprising and welcome change not to be hungry. The day as a whole was a good day. Lunch consisted of sirloin steak (3.5 oz.), 12 spears of asparagus – again the wife did a great job of spicing, salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon juice; we also had half a grapefruit. By the way, my wife is doing the diet with me. It’s working out wonderfully. Supper was a meatball and cabbage soup. It left something to be desired, but with practice it could work. I had had a cup of whole strawberries an hour before supper. We did better on our calories – mine was 493. My blood sugar at bedtime was 134. I’m still not taking medication.

Day 5: 3rd VLCD
Well, I got on the scale and discovered another 4.4 pounds gone. Whoda thunk it? This stuff really works. It’s a shame I’m sixty-five years old and just now discovering a way to do what I’ve been trying to do for thirty-seven years. Well, I’ve been asking G-d for help, and He always comes through for me. I’ve been asking Him for the last few years not to let my eating habits be my demise. The Scripture says in Proverbs 23:2, “And put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.” It’s amazing that we know we are killing ourselves by making bad choices, and yet we make them anyway. What delicate creatures we must be. What an intricate balance we must maintain to function properly – the way we were meant to function – mentally healthy and physically strong. I’m not looking at this protocol as a quick fix. Because of it, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Wow, it must be one of those think-about-it days.
I got my shot at 8:20 this morning. My eldest son, who lives downstairs with his wife and four children soon to be five, gives me my shot every morning before he goes to work. I am not hungry at all. My daughter-in-law cooked lunch for me: flounder, a cup of romaine lettuce, and a half a grapefruit. It tasted pretty good, but the calorie count was only 138. Got to plan better. Supper was sirloin steak (3.5 oz.) and half a medium onion sauteed. It was surprisingly tasty. Also had a fuji apple. I had 474 calories for the day. My blood sugar at bedtime was 142, still no medication.

Day 6: 4th VLCD
Another 3.4 pounds – the L-rd is so good to me. I had my shot at 8:30, and I feel good. It’s hard to believe how well this works.
I’ve been getting calls all morning from people concerning a tree that fell on my car and my house. It totaled my 1996 Ford Taurus (it was a great car) and did extensive damage to the house. I had liability only on the Taurus, but insurance will pay for the house. What do they say, “Into every life a little rain must fall”? Well, this fell at a most inopportune time. I’m going to marry my daughter May 4, 2008 (no, I don’t live where you call your daddy uncle, I’m a minister) and my wife wants to retire in the fall. I’m sure the L-rd will work it out.
Lunch today was chicken breast with steamed cabbage. Either the food is getting better, or I’m learning to appreciate what I get. Fruit was half a grapefruit. I usually eat my fruit an hour before I eat my meal. Supper was sirloin steak, with 12 spears of asparagus. It’s one of my favorite meals so far.
I check my blood sugar a couple of times a day, and it is holding between 141 and 145. At this stage, I think that is great. Maybe I can reverse the diabetes.

Day 7: 5th VLCD
3.2 pounds today – what can I say? My shot was at 8:50. I’m bewildered by the fact that I feel so good. It doesn’t seem possible that a person can eat so little and not be hungry. I was a little bored, so I played some Free Cell and worked my way to Red Alert. I had plenty of things I could have been working on, but I was definitely lacking ambition.
Had an apple around 11:00 a.m., ate lunch at twelve – sirloin steak (3.5 oz.) and half an onion sauteed. Good stuff. Supper was chicken stir-fry with a cup and a half of celery. The wife used some Braggs Amino Acid. It was very tasty. It seemed like a lot of food, but the calorie count was 173. My blood sugar is still holding at 141.

Day 8: 6th VLCD
Hmmm – 1.4 pounds. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the seemingly small weight loss. How could I? I’ve never lost 18 pounds in 5 days, but I feel like something is wrong. My wife didn’t lose any weight. I think it was the Braggs Amino Acid. After researching it, I found that some people who use it don’t lose the next day. A lot of people use it with no problem. I don’t think I’ll bother with it.
It’s been another great day, except for my son’s dog barking for hours because my daughter-in-law took the grand-kids to spend their money, earned from doing various chores around the house. Their ages are Joshua – 7, Hannah – 5, Taylah – 3, Sarah – 1, and one in the oven, due in June. They are being home-schooled and doing very well. Josh and Hannah play violin. Josh seems to have an aptitude for it and does extremely well. His teacher is quite impressed. So am I. Great kids; stupid dog.
Lunch was sirloin steak and onion. I had an apple before lunch. Supper was veal with asparagus, and another apple. Blood sugar was 140. No medication since March 1st.

Day 9: 7th VLCD
2.6 pounds – that’s more of what I’m used to. I suppose the weight loss will decrease eventually. 1 to 2 pounds a day is more usual, but I’m enjoying it while I can. Saturday is family day, and my youngest son, Michael, and his wife and sons came over. We have always been a close-knit family. Let me give you a summary of our togetherness. In my house downstairs, live my oldest son, Lance (36), Angela, his wife (33), and his children who were mentioned yesterday. Upstairs, there is me, my wife, Pam, my oldest daughter, Rebecca (26), who will be married in May, my middle son, Jason (32), and a young girl we have known since she was 4, Jenny (23), who has lived with us for 5 years. Michael, who lives about ten miles away, is 29, and his wife, Erin is 29, and their four sons are Isaac (7), Ezra (5) Joel (3), and Nathan (1). My youngest daughter, Kara (23), lives about 4 miles from us with her husband, Andrew (22), and their son, Benjamin (1 ½). I find it very gratifying that my children didn’t feel the need to get as far away as possible.
It was a pretty good day. Lunch was ground beef, tomato, and an apple. Supper consisted of Flounder, beet greens, and another apple. My morning blood sugar was 128.

Day 10: 8th VLCD
Maybe the weight loss is slowing down – I only lost 1 pound. I wouldn’t think of complaining. How could I? (21 pounds in 7 days.) It will be interesting how things progress from here. I have found that I have started feeling a little hungry at times. It is not overwhelming, but it does nag a bit. It’s crazy how 250 calories can satisfy you and get you to your next meal. I’m going to bed earlier and earlier because it seems I am most hungry at night.
It might also be that food has been such a big part of my life that it’s hard to accept that I can’t eat the way that I’ve been used to. I believe there is a healing taking place in my spirit – it’s a feeling of assurance that this time I’ll make it. I am finally going to cast this mountain of flesh into the proverbial sea and be done with it.
Lunch was an apple, chicken breast, and a cup and a half sliced celery stir-fried. Celery has a lot of flavor when spiced. For supper, the wife made a meatloaf concoction with a piece of Melba toast and a side of Napa cabbage – pretty good effort, but needed something. My blood sugar was 158 in the morning and 128 at bedtime.

Day 11: 9th VLCD
Well, it looks like the slow down is officially here – 0.8 pounds this morning. Every weight loss is greatly appreciated, but having such dramatic loss in the beginning, and then dropping this low, messes with your head a little. Although as I think about it, I would rather it be that way. The thought of just being 8 pounds lighter is scary. I was on the Protein Power diet, and the most I lost in one week was 7 pounds, then it slowed down to 3 or 4 pounds a week. It was a pretty good diet, but I would lose 22-23 pounds and that would be it. With my weight, that was not even a drop in the bucket. And then I would gain it all back within a couple of months. I was on it several times. The fact that I like meat made it an appealing diet.
Lunch was one of my staples – sirloin steak with onions, and an apple one hour before. Supper offered chicken breast, 12 spears of asparagus, and an apple. These two meals are probably my favorite. Blood sugar at 6 p.m. was 140.

Day 12: 10th VLCD
Another 1.6 pounds today. I failed to mention before that my feet were swollen, especially the right one. They have been swollen for several days. The sight of them was more disturbing than any pain associated with them. Also at night, I was having a lot of leg cramps. Three or four times a night, I would have to sit up and put my feet on the floor to get the cramp out. The worst cramp was on the top of the foot. I would try walking, twisting my foot, flexing it up and down, but my wife was the only one who could work it out. A little bit of magnesium in hot water helped the cramps. The swelling in my feet looks worse than it is.
All in all it has been a good day. It seems I am feeling best in the morning. I have more energy then. After lunch, ambition leaves me, and I have to struggle to get anything done. I think boredom sets in, and that’s when I think about food, and my mind tells me I am hungry. I’m not really hungry – I just haven’t taken food from the center of my life yet.
Lunch was standard – sirloin steak with onions, and an apple. Supper was chicken breast with cherry tomatoes stir-fry, and an earlier apple. Supper combination was very tasty. Looking forward to trying that again.

Day 13: 11th VLCD
One more pound gone, fantastic. I only had one cramp last night that caused me to sit up and take notice. That’s a relief. The swelling in my feet has gone down a lot, but I’ve developed the sore-heel syndrome that Dr. Simeon talked about. It’s painful when I put weight on it, but not when I’m sitting or lying down. I had the same thing happen when I was on Protein Power. It seems a little odd. Not much else to talk about.
Lunch was sirloin steak and onions. I had an apple around 11 a.m. Supper was chicken breast cucumber stir-fry. Doesn’t sound like a very good combo, but it tasted quite good. My blood sugar has climbed to the 150’s, 156, to be exact. It was 151 yesterday. I’m still not taking any medication.

Day 14: 12th VLCD
O.8 pounds

Day 15: 13th VLCD
0.8 pounds

Day 16: 14th VLCD
1 pound

Day 17: 15th VLCD
0.4 pounds – I guess the loss has started to average out. It’s still amazing how much I have lost. I was feeling a little lethargic and not quite right today. Watching a lot of TV – bummer day.
Lunch was sirloin steak with onions, and an apple. Supper was chicken breast with tomatoes stir-fry. I had an apple an hour before supper.
Around 9 p.m . I blew up at my son, Jason, for little reason. It seemed I had no control over my actions. I was very angry, so I went to bed. I lay there thinking of what happened, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Not being able to sleep, I got up around 1 a.m. and went into my office, and sat at my desk. Feelings of despair overwhelmed me. I was in the downward spiral of depression. I hadn’t felt like this since before I met the L-rd. It brought back old memories that only made matters worse. I prayed as much as I could (not much) and went back to bed. G-d was merciful, and I was able to sleep.

Day 18: 16th VLCD
0.6 pounds. The next morning was horrible. I was shouting at my wife – telling her that I didn’t care about living anymore. This went on for at least an hour. My wife said very little. It wasn’t an argument – it was just me ranting. My wife had somewhere she had to go (thank G-d),
so she fixed me my lunch and left. The rest of the day was just despair and heaviness.
I had a talk with Jason later that night, and everything was worked out with him. I slept a little better than the night before.

Day 19: 17th VLCD
0.8 pounds. Obviously I’m looking back to these last few days – there was no way I could write in the condition I was in. Yesterday was a little better than the day before. I tried to keep my mind off everything that was upsetting me by playing Free Cell and Red Alert, and watching TV – it helped some. I decided to take an infrared sauna. I have one in my office which is off my bedroom. I sat in it at 145 degrees for half an hour, then showered. This seemed to help a great deal. By the time my wife got home from work, I was feeling a lot better.
This whole thing reminds me of when I was taking prednisone for arthritis. I would get angry over absolutely nothing and shout at the top of my voice. I had no control over what I was doing. I took that medicine for a year, but I quit because of what it was doing to me. The only difference between that and this is that I didn’t have the depression I am having now.

Day 20: 18th VLCD
0.2 pounds. Well, I’m back on track now. I still have some heaviness, but I feel a lot better. Wow, what a lousy three days! The whole thing seems hormonal. My son, Lance, seems to think it might be related to substances stored in the fat that are bing released back into my system. I’m not sure. I haven’t heard of anyone else going through this. Maybe you have. Putting down my thoughts is still cumbersome, so I’ll just give you my food for the day.
Lunch was an apple, chicken breast, with cabbage soup. My daughter-in-law put a lot of ginger in it, which is not my favorite spice, but I choked it down. Told her I appreciate the effort, but I never want it again. My son Lance likes it. To each his own. Supper was the old standby, sirloin steak with onions, and an apple.

Day 21: 19th VLCD
0.4 pounds. I’ve heard that your frame of mind has a lot to do with weight loss. I wonder if this depression is slowing my loss down, or is it just averaging out. I’m not complaining about the slowdown, I’m still losing an average of over 1 ½ pounds a day. Anyway, I’m doing better today. Hopefully whatever it is will be completely gone soon.
Lunch was an apple, sirloin steak with asparagus. Supper was 3.5 oz. of chicken breast and celery stir-fry and an apple. I think I should eat different kinds of fruit, but an apple seems like more food to eat than half a grapefruit. I guess I’m going to buy some more fish for variety. Fish is not my favorite food.

Day 22: 20th VLCD
1.3 pounds. Well that’s a nice change. It’s the first time this week I’ve lost over a pound. I remember on the Protein Power diet, I would drop down to 320-322 pounds and that would be it. I would plateau and never get past there. Then I would gain it all back in a couple of months. Maybe those days are over. I hope so.
Most of my arthritis pain is almost completely gone. Some days, I am pain free. I don’t think I have had but a few pain-free days in 20 years. It’s hard to imagine life without pain.
I am noticing soreness in my butt when I sit awhile, also in my hips when I sleep on my side. I must be losing fat in those areas. I’m still not taking any medication for my blood sugar, and it’s holding between 140 and 155.

Day 23: 21st VLCD
1 pound. Well the depression has subsided tremendously, almost completely gone. I can’t say that I have gained a lot of ambition, but it is a welcome change. I must say that I’m moving around a lot easier, not getting out of breath like I used to. Not eating anymore that I am is still taking its toll on my mind. It’s hard not to eat sometimes. I don’t believe it’s because I am hungry (although I feel hungry at times), but it’s just not knowing what to do without food in the picture. My wife asked me the other day if I wanted to do something fun to cheer me up. My answer was, “What’s fun that doesn’t include food?” Because of my weight, our fun for years has consisted of going out to dinner, or a movie, and eating popcorn. I am looking forward to getting back on the golf course again.

Day 24: 22nd VLCD
0.8 pounds. Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate it. I wasn’t even aware it was Easter today. I believe in the resurrection of Christ, but I don’t believe we were ever commanded to celebrate it. I’ve been keeping Passover for the last 16 years. It doesn’t come until April 19 this year. I don’t believe my wife and I are going to have a Seder meal this year because we will be in the middle of phase three. It’s going to be sad not to celebrate Passover, but I believe the L-rd understands the battle I’m in, and He’s on my side. I hope I haven’t upset too many of you by my statements. Perhaps I’ve even gotten a few of you thinking about the issue, which is always a good thing.
Lunch ingredients seem like old standbys: sirloin steak and onions, but the wife made a mock french onion soup, which was excellent. What a treat. I’m going to give you the recipe when she writes it up for me. Dinner was chicken breast with tomatoes. I had an apple for both lunch and dinner.

Day 25: 23rd VLCD
0.5 pounds. March 24 – it’s my birthday. Sixty-six years old today. I never thought I would live long enough to be married thirty-seven years and have 10 grand-kids. I wouldn’t have either, if it wasn’t for the L-rd. I have a lot to be thankful for.
My wife made me an album – some of the pictures I had never seen. She had a box of old slides from when she used to take a lot of pictures. We never had a slide projector, so it’s not surprising that I hadn’t seen some of them. Wow – seeing myself thirty-five years ago when I was in good shape was bizarre. I had literally forgotten what I used to look like. I must say – not bad at all. Even the family was amazed. I’ll think about it and maybe I’ll add a picture. I received a lot of other good gifts. All in all, it was a good day.

Day 26: 24th VLCD
0.8 pounds. I feel a little bit irritated today. Maybe it’s because I was not able to eat on my birthday. I didn’t feel bad yesterday, but looking back, it had always been a good day to pig out. I’m feeling hungry, so maybe that’s all it is. Man, your mind plays with your head when it comes to food. I find myself looking forward to phase three a lot now. I know it’s too early, but I keep thinking of omelets and beef bacon. I’m going to look for nitrate-free beef bacon. I hope it tastes good. I imagine most anything would about now, except maybe ginger. I wish I could acquire a taste for ginger, because it seems to be good for so many things. Well enough rambling.
Lunch was mock french onion soup that my wife had frozen. That stuff is really good.
Supper was chicken breast with cherry tomatoes. My fruit was two apples.

Day 27: 25th VLCD
Wow, this is my first day without any weight loss. I guess it had to happen. I re-read
Simeon’s report, and it said almost always one will have a day or two without any loss toward the end of the course. I hope this is the case, and I haven’t hit a plateau. Either way, I will get through it.
Looking back over the last three weeks, this really hasn’t been all that bad. I have been on a 17-day juice fast, drinking 5 or 6 glasses of juice a day, and I do believe that this is easier. Hummmm – thinking about it, I could go for a nice tall glass of juice. Enough of that.

Day 28: 26th VLCD
Another no loss day. It bugs me a bit, but I am trying to keep a positive attitude. I’ve lost 34.4 pounds thus far, so if I wasn’t such a spoiled brat, I would be ecstatic. I’ve been pampering myself way too long with food. I expect this will be a growing up experience. I am just realizing that I’ve been a baby for sixty-five years using food as my pacifier. It was food that brought me out of my lows. It was food that rewarded my highs. I’ve been living to eat, not eating to live. That’s pathetic, but it’s true. I would recommend this diet to all emotional eaters and tell them to reflect on their past and see how food has taken the place of so many things they could have accomplished.

Day 29: 27th VLCD
1 pound loss. Well, I guess it wasn’t a plateau. I’m glad of that. The urge to quit is getting stronger. Dr Simeon’s protocol states not to lose more than 35 pounds. Although in cases as extreme as mine, it says you can lose another 5 pounds, but shouldn’t take more than forty shots. I don’t know how much longer I am going to go.
Lunch was steak and onions, and an apple. Supper was cabbage soup with chicken, and another apple.

Day 30: 28th VLCD
Another pound gone. Not doing too bad today. Getting some needed writing done. Haven’t done as much writing as I had planned. Lazy I guess. Sometimes I catch myself, and realize I’ve been sitting staring, mind off somewhere not really focusing, but jumping here and there with no emotion attached to it at all. Must be getting close to quitting.
Lunch was steak and asparagus, and an apple. Supper was chicken and tomato stir-fry.
I had strawberries instead of an apple.

Day 31: 29th VLCD
0.8 pound loss today. I must tell you, I don’t feel much like writing. The urge to quit is very strong, almost to the point of making me angry. I guess the baby in me is crying out for its pacifier. Thoughts of ‘if I had used a little self control in the past I wouldn’t have to be going through this now’ are plaguing me. Blaming the fact that I’m fat on all the people who caused me to become an emotional eater. This is all too familiar. From the time I was 10 years old until I was 32, I blamed all my failures on my parents, or some other authority, or person who had hurt me in some way or another. When I came to G-d in 1974 at the age of 32, He showed me how to take responsibility for my own actions. The peace that came with the realization that things could change was tremendous. Wow, I feel better.
Lunch was chicken with asparagus, and an apple. Supper was mock chili, and an apple.

Day 32: 30th VLCD
0.3 loss. Not much of a loss. I think my mind is made up. I am going to quit tomorrow. That will mean my last shot. After that, there will be two more VLC days without shots in order to rid the body of HCG. If you eat while HCG is present, you will gain weight quickly. I don’t really have a lot to say today. I feel a bit lethargic and uninspired.
Lunch was hamburger patty with onions. Supper was chicken and celery stir-fry.

Day 33: 31st VLCD
Wow, 1 pound loss, I wasn’t expecting that. Rather than take this as a sign that G-d wants me to continue on, I’m going to take it as a blessing for a job well done. Today is my last day. All and all, this has been a good learning experience for me. I’m not going to tell you that this diet is easy. But looking back, I can’t say that it was physically hard. Your body gets all that it needs to run well, because of the stored fat being released and used as fuel. The hard part is overcoming years of poor eating choices. It’s amazing how much we are emotionally tied to food. In my role as of as Emotional Freedom Practitioner, I use a phrase while tapping on certain meridian points, “Even though I don’t like what I see when look in the mirror, I deeply and completely love and accept myself . . . and I honor my body for showing me what I am doing to it.” If you’re interested in hearing more about what I do, you can post a comment, and I will be glad to respond to you personally.
If you are interested in doing the diet, here is a website that might be helpful.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HcgDieters/. I would recommend that you click the protocol success link and download Pounds & Inches. After reading every word of it, you can make an informed decision whether or not to do it. It took me awhile to work up to it. I’m glad I did.
Well success always feels good. I have lost over 38 pounds. I now know how I m going to conquer this mountain of fat. G-d bless all who read this. May G-d grant success to all who do this diet (I’m always telling the church, as long you’re trying, you haven’t done it) that’s why I use the term do this diet. Think about it.

Jerry

Update: I have been through 3 more rounds of the diet and as of December 13, 2008, I am 78 pounds lighter. Praise G-d!