Decisions

After my Thursday debacle, I've done a lot more research and decision making. Sorry if this is TMI, but on Friday morning, I, being 6 mo post-menopause, started my period. Ohhhhhhhhh, THAT explains a lot.

Part of the reason that I am as calm, clear-headed, happy and inspired as I am is because my high levels of estrogen dropped considerably in the past year.

I did a lot more research on the diet, and was told by two people that I wasn't doing it right (which I agree). The successful people are those who follow it to the letter. However, since I spoke with my naturopath/homeopath who says that the homeopathic drops are not homeopathic in any sense that he understands or recognizes, I'm going to do even a lot more research and thinking.

I did find that the majority of the menopausal women who experienced a renewal of their cycle were on the drops. Having a period really confused me because I thought the hCG was reproducing a pregnancy-like state. I think all these drops did was elevate certain hormones (LH especially) instead of producing the desired state. After all, a homeopathic remedy is like the "hair of the dog that bit you," in that it uses a substance which is like your malady, in order to stimulate healing. Anyway, I'm not sure about all that.

What I DO know, though, is that I have been very happy with my life and who I am for the last year, and that is for the first time in my entire life. So anything that produces a surge in previously quelled hormones is not really welcome to me.

I'm not saying that it is completely out of the question for me -- I'm saying I will have to talk to the right doctors and find the right information for me to try it again. And that I'll use a different form of the hormone if I do try it again.

For now, I'm going to follow more of Dr. Mercola's suggestions. When I read his site, I realized what I was eating that was likely keeping my weight on. My protein and fat levels are good, but I still probably consume too many starches, and I do love fruit. I eat a lot of bananas for their potassium, and likely too many potatoes in soups.

I'm going to try the Miracle Noodles to replace more of the rice and potatoes in my diet.

I have increased my exercise considerably in the last 4 months, but I'm going to increase it more. Thursday night, after talking to an hCG counselor who told me it sounded like I was protein deficient, I had a bowl of black beans, brown rice, and pork. My sour mood abated within 10 minutes. The next morning I walked a couple of miles up near the top of Tombstone Canyon and back. I hadn't had that much energy in a long time.

So I'm back to discovery phase, but I've requested a phone consult with the doctor who treated an entire family with the hCG diet. I'm ordering a diet journal so I can keep track of everything, and I'll keep walking up Tombstone Canyon and researching the best diet for me.

None of this is said to discourage anyone from doing the hCG. I know people who have lost anywhere from 70 to 160 pounds on it. I know people who have lost between 20 & 40 pounds on it. It does work if you do it right; of that I'm convinced.

But having just started my own media agency, plus all the writing contracts I'm taking on, I need to be at my peak -- not fighting hormonal surges and depression for several months.

Again, I eat almost wholly organic and virtually no processed foods. I eat small meals instead of large. I have no hunger. So I'm already living a healthy lifestyle. A few more tweaks in my diet and a major increase in exercise will likely make a large :-) difference eventually.

Doin' it wrong

Okay. Only 6 days in, and I feel like I'm doing this all wrong. I can see that I really need to detox first, and detox as I go along. hCG1234 has products for that.

My head is foggy, I feel logie, and I've been spoiling for a fight all day. So, I'm going to get the products and start over.

Not sure about the advice my friend's doctor was giving his patients, "Go home, eat a gallon of ice cream and start over." Whut?

Unfortunately, I've never been a do or die person (you know that old saying, "Mine is not to wonder why; mine is just to do or die"? Yeah, that has never worked for me. So I'm going to dig for some information and call the hcg1234 support line.

More later. I'm not in the mood to write. ><

Day 5 - hcG

I had a fabulous walk this morning. I tried to gauge my energy level and didn't go too far. I turned around when I just started getting tired. So I only did 20 minutes, but it was all uphill going, plus there was the huge hill up to my house and the stairs down to it. (I decided I could do hill up and stairs down more easily than stairs up -- those are my two choices.)

It is soooo lush right now. Every yard is full of flowers. One large yard was wall to wall blooming blue morning glories. So gorgeous! I am lucky to live in this little oasis in the desert.

I wanted to mention that the homeopathic drops I purchased were the hCG1234 drops. A fairly newcomer to the market. I believe. They have a 24 hour support line for questions which is very cool.

It is strange, though, that there is so much different info out there. I know the hCG1234 diet strictly prohibits Omega 3 oils or supplements, and yet another site touts Omega 3 supplements as the remedy for ridding yourself of hunger and foggy head while on hCG.

So for lunch I had 100 g of red sockeye salmon and 2 rye crisp. I noticed I am eating my full quota of protein/fat earlier and earlier every day. The first day I ate my last protein at 5:30, yesterday is was 3:30, and today, I've already had the last before 2 p.m. That leaves 2 veggies and 1 fruit for my dinner and snack. (I had an orange for breakfast.) Hmmmm...as soon as I said that, I realized that I'm having 3 fruits a day instead of two. The first day I had two apples and then strawberries in my smoothie. Yesterday I had 1/2 grapefruit, an apple, and then strawberries/frozen peaches in my smoothie. This morning I had an orange, and the fruit in my smoothie, and I'm planning on an apple for my evening snack.

I think I'll do alright as long as I stay under 800 calories/day. My friend Wendy told me that her friends who exercised daily while on the hCG did 800 calories/day in order to have more energy. It did not seem to impede their weightloss.

The first day I had 730 calories, and yesterday I had 610. I've already had 512 calories today, but my salad and apple for later shouldn't be more that 130 calories, so I should be fine for a total of 642 calories.

I find I CAN live with no cream in my coffee since we buy a great organic, free-trade Dark Sumatran from Amazon. It's really tasty black, and I've NEVER said that about any coffee before.

Lots of good, brewed iced tea made with PG Tips -- England's most popular brand. I can drink that with or without my Stevia. I use liquid Stevia from Sweet Leaf. I've not really experimented with others because I'm quite satisfied with the Sweet Leaf. As little aftertaste as possible. And less is more. I've found I'm better using 4 drops instead of 6 in 8 - 12 oz drinks. And the stuff can be used to sweeten anything. I also use it in my smoothies.

I still haven't measured myself, and I must, or it will be a bit tough to gauge my loss without a scale.

So all-in-all, at this point I'm not craving, not starving, not tempted, not regretting. Everything is going pretty well. I feel happy and upbeat. But now I have to get to work -- I mean paid work. LOL. More soon.

Jade