I had a baby in October of 2010.  He is now 15 months old.  I was definitely that pregnant lady that ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and gained 75 pounds.  Yep, you heard me.  So, the normal 30 pounds fell right after after the baby came out and the rest was mine to own up to.  I worked out like a crazy woman, ate as clean as possible, worked out with an amazing trainer and lost the rest.  It was hard work and it sucked…plain and simple.  I got to the point where working out and eating so clean was becoming a chore and I just stopped doing everything when I got to my “comfy weight” in the 140’s.  With working full time, being a mom, and having a husband with an unpredictable work schedule, the workouts have become non -existent and I have not been eating very healthy.   And it has been that way for a while.  Slowly but surely the weight crept up a little and now I’m feeling gross again.  Still in the 140’s, but gross.  So, when my friend that works for a doctor told me about the HCG diet, I was very intrigued.  At first I thought it sounded like the most unhealthy diet to ever enter the planet but the more I researched it, the more I understood it and the more I thought that this is really something that can work for me.  So, I’m giving it the ol’ college try and documenting it for the I AM MODERN readers to see.  Here goes nothing……

 

Before you start to load my page with crazy questions and negative remarks about it, I urge you to do a little research behind the science of this diet.  I know A LOT about nutrition, diet, and exercise.  I have worked with some of the best trainers in the area and I could probably train people myself at this point.  I know that the average diet should be no less than 1200 calories (or your body goes into starvation) and I know that weight lifting, cardio, and eating clean are the three essential parts to any effective weight loss program and any the only way to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I’m past that.  I want the last 20 off and I want them off as soon as possible without killing myself in the gym.  I want to get to where I need to be and THEN eat healthy and work out when I FEEL like it to basically maintain it.  This is not a starvation diet and this is not unhealthy, but you need to read about it to believe it.  And here are the particulars in a nutshell:

 

The hormone HCG (yes, the one that is extracted from the human female body during pregnancy) is taken in small doses for a minimum of 23 days and a maximum of 45 days.  If you stop the hormone any sooner, your hypothalamus does not have a chance to reset (meaning your cravings and food addictions never have a chance to get lost) and going beyond 45 days allows your body to get used to the hormone, causing you to become very hungry and starting to burn the normal fat, which is NOT what we want.  The HCG hormone is taken in conjunction with a 500 calorie a day diet (gasp, I know) of certain kinds of meats, vegetables and fruits.  The two together produce results of losing over 1-2 pounds a day (GASP, I KNOW!!!).

Got your attention yet??  Want to know more???

Basically, the HCG hormone allows you to consume a very low calorie diet (VLCD), while eliminating hunger pangs. The easy-to-take hormone that does not taste all that bad, allows your body to unlock stored fat around the midsection (hips, belly, bottom, and thighs) as well as the upper arms. HCG helps to burn the “mobile fat”; that is the fat that is stored around the hips, thighs, belly and upper arms. It will however leave the so called “structural fat” that can be found in the muscles and protects the organs, untouched. This way the excess fat will disappear even faster, and your problem areas will be dealt with quickly.  You simply place the HCG drops under your tongue six times a day, keeping the HCG consistent in your body throughout the day.  (Adapted from yourhcg.com)

So, I am starting my journey, with you all to witness.  So, far its going great!!!  I started yesterday!!  Not hard at all.  Oh wait.  I forgot to mention that the first two days on the drops you get to eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you want in large quantities to stock your fat cells up so you are not hungry that first week.  So, cake, cookies, alcohol, breads, butters…anything fatty and to the max…the more the better.  Yep, I’m doing great so far!  J

Tomorrow, I am stating the low calorie portion of the diet and I will update with my before picture and my starting weight.  Stay tuned…

I AM Modern Magazine does not endorse the use of the HCG diet. This is not a paid advertisement and the opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author's and not necessarily of I AM Modern Magazine.

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ANN NERI GAUSE has been a middle school counselor for 5 years with Loudoun County Public Schools. She graduated from Ferrum College in 2002 and went on to complete her Master of Arts Degree in Psychological Services K-12 from Marymount University in 2005. Ann currently resides in Leesburg with her husband Joey, their son Ashton and dog Charlie.