PHASE 2 – PART DEUX
LIVES TRANSFORMED
I am finished with my protocol. I took my last injection on Thursday. My 72 hours of letting the HCG leave my system began Friday. Today I get to have my protein shake for breakfast, and I can eat nuts! Yum.
Jill has decided to continue for 1 more week. Because she skipped Sunday’s, she can do an additional 6 days. Jilly wants to see if she can get closer to losing 30 pounds. Lane wanted to get into the LOW 220’s but because his weight stabilized this past week, he ended his protocol on Friday. Today is his last day of his 72 hour cleanse.
Today I’m posting ‘before and after’ pictures. When I went searching for which pics to use, we were all pretty shocked to see some of the ‘befores’. The first pic is one that shows Lane and Jill in 2007 at their heaviest, and me from one year ago. We had all tried to lose weight over the past couple of years, but we were only marginally successful. Lane and I did Nutrisystem, '10 Day', etc, but nothing was ever as successful as HCG.
My ‘Before’ picture was taken just exactly one year ago. Two people whose accounts I look after visited the corporate office and we had our picture taken together. I cropped out the other two for this posting. I decided to use this one because, at the time, I was really pleased with this picture. A co-worker recently saw the picture and was shocked at how different my face looks now. I must admit, the pic from a year ago definitely shows a ‘fuller face’. I was actually really surprised by my ‘after’ picture. I look good!! You don’t really notice all the small changes as they are happening, but a picture is worth - - - - - -. I didn’t have a lot a photos to choose from because I always make sure I’m the one behind the camera.
Jill’s ‘Before’ picS were taken in 2007 at her heaviest, and then just this past March in Arizona. The ‘After’ pic was taken this past Wednesday as she was rushing around trying to get the car packed to go back to Moab. Wow. I am so proud of her. She is so excited to see her weight makeover. This is her first experience with HCG, and she is planning on doing a 2nd round in January. She will need a ‘buddy’ to do it with. Any takers??
Lane’s transformation is certainly the most dramatic. When I see what he used to look like, I hardly recognize him. He said he stopped weighing when he hit 350, but these pictures tell me he was well beyond that. His tailor told him that for every 10 pound loss, it is a belt size. His belts have gone from a 56 to a 42. His weight loss journey officially started in 2009. He dropped 70 pounds that year using the ’10-DAY’ diet. After that, he just couldn’t seem to lose more, and the pounds slowly began to creep back on. When I decided to start HCG in May, he was NOT going to do it. He was very leery of the 500 calories, and of being hungry all the time. I finally ‘nagged’ him into it, and we started our journey together. He WAS hungry the first couple of days, then just made up his mind to push forward. By June 15th he had lost 35 pounds, and blew past his 100 pound mark. This time, he has lost another 35 pounds which makes his total weight loss since 2009 around 140 pounds.
Wow, and Wow again!!!!! Doesn’t he look great??????????
This journey officially began May 1st, 2010 and has been one of the best things we’ve ever done together. I do think it is important to do it with a ‘buddy’. Son Mark tried to do it on his own and said it was very difficult not to have a ‘buddy’ support system. I think it would be easy to get distracted by outside forces if you were doing it alone. Jill joined us for our 2nd round, and it was great that she had someone to bounce ideas off, and she could share the journey with people who were going through the same things.
Lane wanted me to mention a couple of things: He said we have learned so much during this journey. We have learned some important details that will remain with us now that we are done.
1) There needs to be a time break between diets. Even if you are doing another program, the body needs a chance to stabilize before continuing. We waited 8 weeks between protocols. Jill will need to wait 8 weeks before she does phase 2 again.
2) Lane feels that the 2 loading days are really important. We didn't do it right. You need to load on fattening foods like lasange, pastas with cream sauces, ets. We loaded on sweets and sugars, but we should have loaded on high fat foods. It helps to make you less hungry the first 3 days. [Go get the tastiest, high fat foods you can find during that time. Also, you have to eat all the time during those 2 days, not enough to be ill, but enough so that you are full all the time.
3) You need to make sure you have a really good supplement while dieting. It helps with energy, and not being hungry. Tahitian Noni NatureBorn vitamins were wonderful. They are all natural, no synthetics.
4) Drink a LOT of water, and take fiber. Not stupid fiber like metamusil, but an all natural fiber complex. Talk to Annette if you want a really good one.
5) Don't drink diet soda while dieting. It still triggers an insulin response in the body, and you can gain weight by drinking it.
6) Phase 3 is very important. It allows the body to stabilize and set a stable weight. Adding sugars and starches too soon after dieting will not allow the body to re-set the metabolism.
7) Exercise!!! It does make a difference. It burns calories.
I begin my 2nd round of Phase 3 today. BRING ON THE PEANUTS!! [and the string cheese, and the milk, and the watermelon, and the almonds, and the salmon, and the parmesan crusted tilapia, etc, etc, etc]
