Prepping for the Big Diet

Today I bought a new scale (and it reads body fat as well... NOT excited to see that particular nugget of info!) and a food scale with which I'll weigh my portions for the HCG diet. I also loaded up on the vegetables and fruit I can eat.

Dawne asked what the hormone does exactly. This is from the website: "This hormone allows the body to metabolize fat and use it as energy for both mother and fetus. This acts as a “fail-safe” mechanism when energy is needed immediately. For weight loss, we use only a very small amount of HCG to capitalize on this same mechanism. Using HCG in this way does not mimic pregnancy; in fact, it can be safely used by both men and women."

So apparently it allows the body to metabolize stored fat and use it for energy.

I must say, I am very excited to begin this diet. I know if I am faithful to stick to it that I'll see great results, and I think that will motivate me to continue on. I do plan to regularly go to the gym once my energy is back up; not sure exactly when that will happen, though. I can tell I am very, very out of shape. My muscles quiver and ache when I carry the groceries up the 2 flights of stairs into the house and I get out of breath.

So I'm excited to get in good cardio shape, and also work in some weight lifting perhaps to tone my muscles once a good portion of the fat covering them is gone. From what I've read most people lose approximately 20 pounds per round of HCG. I'm doing it this once for sure, and I may do another round later this summer. I have to do some more research to see if there is a recommended waiting period between doses, but so far it looks like you just need to give yourself 3 weeks after the diet for your weight to stabilize and your hypothalamus to be reset.

If I did it twice and lost 20 pounds each time, that would put me a few pounds below my goal weight of 130. I've never been below 130; at least not since my weight stabilized as an adult. I will be measuring myself during the diet; it's highly recommended you do so, as the scale may stop dropping so drastically but the inches continue to melt off. So, for me it doesn't matter so much what the number on the scale is. I'm more looking to get down to a healthy size; an 8 or so.

I will definitely be blogging every step of the way. I am mentally preparing for the first 4 days to be excruciatingly hard. Actually, now that I think about it, I should make some meals and put them in the freezer for those days. Good thought. =) In addition to the food menu they suggest, I will be taking a multivitamin and also drinking one glass of low sodium V8 a day for the potassium.

I'm excited to see how things will go! I'm especially excited to see the number on the scale start moving down, and for my poor little turtle ticker who has been stranded at 7 pounds lost to be able to move forward. :0) I think I will weigh every Monday and post a picture of what the scale says. I've seen other bloggers do it and it's more exciting to see the real thing than for me to just say, " I lost xx amount of pounds". So you'll get to see my little tootsies once a week; a good excuse for a pedicure, no?