It is Sunday morning, meaning I started this diet one week ago today. I started my diet at 166 lbs. This morning, I weighed in at 155.6. I can’t argue with those results.
I have been told that losing 1-2 pounds a week is healthiest. This is because you are taking the time to learn new habits and you will then keep the weight off. Another reason for this is so you don’t have loose skin hanging around. If you lose weight slowly, your skin will adjust to fit its new mass. Well, I’ve lost 10 lbs in one week, actually I lost it in 5 days, because the first two days of this diet were all about loading up on fat.
Let’s talk about the side effects. There are a few of them, like the fact that I occasionally feel-well, lazy. If I can chose between getting up or staying seated I used to get up. At this point I don’t want to. I feel like I just want to stay seated as much as possible. This is okay because I do have a couple of good books to read. My three daughters have been taking turns being asked to refill my water or fetch me my phone. On that note I will say that once I am up, I am tending to get more productive work done. I am not the best housekeeper in the world, toys might stay on the floor until the next morning, clean clothes might wait in their basket until I am watching tv at night. Don’t get me started on dishes. Well, last night I stood up to greet my husband and girls when they got home from visiting family. I ended up cleaning the kitchen completely while I was up there. I think this might be because I am bored and don’t know what to do with myself since I can’t snack on anything.
At the same time, I feel restless. I actually feel like I am a little ADD, because I had the opportunity to sit and read a book last night. I not only started two different books, but I also jumped up without noticing my own actions, to take a shower. My brain is on active mode. I feel like I don’t quite know what to do with myself. I have found myself staying busy whenever I can. Like right now, I started writing this at 8am on a Sunday morning, a time when I would usually be snuggled in bed. When I woke up this morning I just didn’t want to lie around, I wanted to do something. This feels like the opposite of lazy I guess. I physically want to take a break, but mentally I want to be doing something.
Another side effect I just noticed last night as I suffered another bout of ADD and got out my nailpolish- I don’t usually paint my nails, because it will just chip off in two days- Was that my nails, which had been brittle and thin are actually thick and getting longer. They are honestly beautiful right now. I have not seen anything in any of the reveiws I read about this symptom. I don’t know if it is localized to me or not, but I do know that it is a change that has happened since last Friday, when I showed the short, broken stubs to my sister in law, the cosmetologist.
This particular side effect makes me happy, because I have heard in people who are depleted of nutrients, such as in anorexia, their hair and nails get worse, not better. I have compared this diet to anorexia, even though I am eating. This is because I am eating so little and abstaining from even healthy snacks not allowed by my diet. I am quickly finding that this comparison isn’t accurate, as apparently the fat I am “consuming” seems to be enough to keep me content.
Another side effect, and my favorite: You know how when you pinch certain parts of your belly or back and you can get quite a bit of fat in between your fingers? Well, I am noticing significantly smaller pinches every day. The me in the mirror is looking great. Since I have been working with a trainer to build muscle, I have been able to feel it under my fat layers but I have bnever been able to see it. This morning as I stood in front of the mirror I saw my abs. Even better, those arms I have been working so hard on are still solid. I was really afraid that with this diet I would lose muscle as my body struggled to find enough protein to survive. The hCG program says that your body will not feed on your muscle, but I didn’t really believe it. I mean, how on earth can this little bottle of drops tell your body to ONLY take the chubbles? I didn’t think it was possible, yet, as I stood in front of the mirror and flexed my bicep I saw it and felt it clearly. Not only is it not gone, but I can actually see it now. I found my muscles!
Finally, I kind of feel ashamed of this diet even now. I felt stupid initially for trying something that sounded “too good to be true,” and even now that I know it is working I have only told my mom and this blog how I am really losing the weight. Even my husband thinks I have just gone very strict on my diet. He wouldn’t notice the difference anyway, and would probably be upset that I paid so much for a miracle drug. That’s what I consider this, a miracle drug. My intention is to share this blog with some of my friends who are currently trying really hard to lose weight. But I don’t want to share it until after I have really been through it, after I have met my goal weigh and made it through six whole weeks. I will not promote something unless I am truly satisfied. For now I am astounded, my whole concept of weightloss and “too good to be true” has been altered.
I have tried hydroxycut, low calorie diets with exercise, the Atkins no carb diet, cleansing and detox, they all have worked for a short amount of time. None of them have worked so fast, and on each of them I regained any weight I lost within a month. The big difference between them and hCG is that the hCG is building a habit. I have heard that it takes 20 days to form or break a habit. That is, I think, why Dr. Simeon says it’s so important to stay on the VLCD for 21 days. The habits I am forming are to find other things to do when I am bored besides eat, to control portion sizes, to plan a well balanced meal with fruit, veggies, and lean proteins, and to view fruit as a dessert that you can look forward to as much as chocolate. yes folks, I am looking forward to my diced apple with cinnamon that I plan on having with lunch. I am looking forward to my cucumber with sea salt too.
This diet is getting easier and easier to stick to every day. Every time I see that scale drop again, every time I put on a smaller pair of pants, every time I pinch that one spot on my stomach that used to fill my hand, I remember why I am doing this. I think to myself, “is my stomach growling? am I really feeling hungry?” the answer is almost always no. Five more weeks to go, I got this.
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Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Shell Bella talks about her new diet, and the unfathomable results
I will continue to post the blog from a current patient with her consent on her path to losing weight with our HCG program. I hope this is informative for those currently going through the program or those that are thinking about starting the HCG diet. For more info contact Dr. Reineck at 513-831-4433 or visit www.livingwithmotion.com
So, The real reason I am writing this blog is because I wanted to record my new journey on the HCG diet. The HCG diet is a diet that uses the pregnancy hormone, HCG, to mobilize the fat stores in your body and use them as food.
Let me start by saying that I am NOT looking for the easy way out. I have an underactive thyroid and am being treated with levothyroxin. I have also been going to the gym 2-5 times a week. During the time I was going 5 times a week regularly, I only lost 4 pounds. It took me almost a year to lose 10lbs. My own mommy can attest, I was doing everything right.
I even ate healthy, I cut down portion sizes and chose healthy snacks. Our shopping habits had changed; we now went to Country Fresh Produce and loaded up on fresh veggies every week. I gave up soda and drank more water. Yes, I would indulge of course, but I always watched my calories. Nothing was working- even the hard, healthy way.
I did find a love for zumba, and a tolerance for some other cardio machines, so I will say that I have developed healthy habits. I don’t want to pretend I didn’t at least feel better while making healthy choices. I did. I just lost momentum because I was not seeing any progress. It was alot easier to say yes to a swiss cake roll or a big bowl of cereal, because, well, why the hell not? I mean, staying away from those things wasn’t helping those size 8 jeans fit comfortably. I realized I had to do something when I started drinking soda again. I was on a downward spiral that would lead to a big, fat, unhappy, and most importantly, unhealthy me.
When I first started going to the gym regularly and watching my diet, I weight 171lbs. I was a size 12. I know it’s not horrible, heck, not even above average in America. But you know how some girls look ok, and even pretty with a little fat on their face? I do not. I got down to 161 lbs while going to the gym and eating almost nothing. I then plateaud and even gained a little while still keeping up with the same diet. I did give myself Saturday and Sunday off, but during the week I ate very healthy. When I lost momentum I slowly crept back up to 166.
Back when I was pregnant I had a lot of back problems so I started seeing this chiropractor, Dr. Luke Reineck at Living With Motion. He was a nice guy, really easy to talk to. He also wanted his patients to know the cause of their discomfort and how it would progress with time. He didn’t just crack your back and send you on your way, he also gave you exercises to help build the strength of your spine so you won’t have to keep coming back for life. There’s a point to this. My baby is now 2 years old and I hadn’t seen Dr. Reineck since I had her, because when she left my uterus she took the back pain with her. I read a post he had put on Facebook about his weight loss plan, and since I had some time I went ahead a researched it.
It was the HCG plan. The science behind it is that some doctor guy noticed malnourished pregnant women were producing perfectly healthy babies. He attributed this to the HCG hormone, which activated the emergency fat stores in our body (hips, thighs, belly, back of the arms, ring a bell?) and used those fat stores to feed the baby. Well, this same concept would work with non-pregnant people, like myself, in activating my booty and turning it into food.
This doesn’t come free or easy though, it only works in a severely low calorie diet. 500 calories low. I kept coming across the same negative comments over and over again. “Anyone would lose weight without these drops on such a low amount of food.” I disagree, because I have tried low calorie diets. I had my trainer tell me I was eating too many calories and my doctor tell me I may not be eating enough for my weight. It’s so complicated that I never knew if I was doing it right or not. It was very frustrating. Like, I’m gonna go to McDonald’s and eat a 3 peice chicken selects meal WITH fries WITH ranch dressing AND a coke AND a cherry pie because nothing is working anyway and I might as well be FAAAAATTTT. (break down into sobs)
The HCG drops help in two ways with the low calories- First, if I were to go on a low calorie diet without HCG, my body would go into starvation mode and hold on to every little thing I ate, making it easier to gain weight in the long run. I am no scientist but I feel like this would also be detrimental to my already underactive thyroid. With HCG, your fat is actually food. I think what this means is that your body is tricked. It doesn’t know it’s not being fed so it doesn’t stop processing and flushing out what you are eating. According to the pamphlet I got from Dr. Reineck, the drops push from 2500-4000 extra fat calories into activity every day. Even I know that 3500 calories equals a pound. This makes sense when they say people lose from .5 to 1 lb a day on this plan. Second, because the HCG drops turn your fat into food, you shouldn’t feel like you are starving yourself. You don’t feel hungry because, well, you are “eating” plenty of calories.
So, Let me tell you how my first week went on the plan.
I started on Monday by meeting with Dr. Reineck for a consultation. I already knew I was going on this diet so I came prepared to pay. My goal is to lose 35 lbs. The ideal wieght for my height is 129, and I am aiming for 130. Dr. Reineck told me I could meet that goal in 43 days. He gave me the pamphlet that goes with the program, though I already knew most of the information because, well, I am not paying a ton of money for something I know nothing about. I did my research. We went through the packet together, and he told me to start with two days of fat loading. He actually told me to eat everything I wanted for the next two days and enjoy. He actually told me that it would be harmful to the program if I did not load enough fat. I lit up right away because I was thinking “McDonald’s.”
I spent the next two days eating everything I wanted. I made certain to eat my favorites that I knew I couldn’t have for the next 43 days. It was like preparing the last meal before going to the chair. In my mind, this strict diet woiuld be like death because I love food. I had my chicken selects. I had a lot of coke, even after coke didn’t sound good anymore. I made macaroni and cheese and ate most of it by myself. I had a raw hot dog, because, well, I could. I was already using the drops and honestly by dinner time of that second night I wasn’t hungry, I didn’t want to eat anymore.
My wieght did not go up these two days, but Dr. Reineck assured me that if it did it would be gone in three days. I was 165 on Tuesday night.
Wednesday morning brought fear. The program suggests that you skip breakfast, which I do anyway. It allows for all the coffee, tea, water, unsweetened and un-fake-sweetened drinks you could ask for. This includes freshly squeezed lemonade. The program pamphlet also gives some tasty drink recipes. I just loaded up on coffee that morning. Stevia and Xylitol are a natural calorie free sweeteners and are allowed on this program in moderation. I don’t know how moderate I have been really, because Stevia has been my savior this week. For dinner and lunch, I was to choose from a very short list one vegetable, one fruit, and one protein. The protein must be 3.5 oz pre-cooked. Which is kind of small. For lunch I had an apple, baked tilapia, and three celery stalks. I was not hungry when I was done, that small amount of food had satisfied me. I did have the munchies though. I am used to grabbing a little piece of chocolate or a handful of almonds as an afternoon snack. This is strictly forbidden. If I eat too many calories or the wrong food, the hcg would not work. I had to remind myself that I was not hungry and I did not deserve to be fat. It was easier to remind myself when I thought of the overall cost of the program. I’ll get to that part later though.
For dinner that night, I had half a grapefruit sweetened with truvia, three egg whites, and peppers. The pepper I had wasn’t really included on the plan, but I had to choose a different veggie than I had for lunch, and my choices were limited. That is another aspect of the diet, you should not eat the same fruit, veggie, and protein twice in the same day. This means that lunch and dinner should be totally different. I really wanted to eat a bowl of cereal when I got home that night. Wednesday is my long day at work and I am used to eating when I got home at 10. I tuned into my stomach, which told me it was not hungry. I had a cup of tea instead.
The next morning I weighed myself again. 164.2. I had lost a little over a pound in one day. I have never had results like this before. That was the motivation I needed to stick with the diet one more day to see what would happen. I should mention that I was skeptical. I wondered if the diet would really work without the hormones, or work at all. I was shocked when that number went down so fast, but I held that after two days of fat loading and one day of eating less than 500 calories, of course I would lose weight.
Tuesday and Thursday went much the same. I was ecstatic when I realized I could eat a whole cucumber, or a cup and a half of spinach. That meant I could chew longer, which made me feel more full. I also was really happy with the “dessert” which was my fruit. I had a grapefruit warmed with cinnamon and stevia, a bowl of strawberries- with stevia. I find myself looking forward to these healthy foods. Othe items allowed on this diet are mustard, seasonings, like garlic, one lemon a day- I use mine for lemonade, fat free chicken broth (2 cups a day), and hot peppers.
On Thursday night I made a chicken breast on the stove with chicken broth. I had one whole tomato diced with some hot peppers to make a salsa. I cut my chicken into really small pieces and had that with my salsa. It was the most delicious meal ever, if a little small. In short, if these meals are prepared correctly they really are delicious. Presentation is key here.
I had gone to the gym to work with my personal trainer on Thursday morning, too. This is probably why when I weighed myself on Friday morning I found a 3 lb loss. I was at 161.6. I won’t withhold here though. I didn’t feel hungry and i had no cravings, and I didn’t feel tired. I didn’t even feel tired when it was bedtime. I felt something else… I don’t know how to describe it, but I’ll try. It was a little weak, but not constantly. If I stand up too fast I get ligthheaded. This doesn’t happen all day, mostly at night when I am tired anyway. I think this may be a withdraw symptom of sorts. It is nothing too noticable, but it is there nonetheless.
It is now Saturday morning. I weigh 159.4 This is the lowest I have weighed since before I got pregnant with my third daughter. That is a 2lb loss from yesterday. I have lost 6 lbs in 3 days. I can’t deny that something is working. I am waiting to see if this HCG regulates the hypothalmus as it s supposed to do. Dr. Reineck even told me that it might regulate my thyroid, meaning I won’t have to be on levothyroxin once a day for the rest of my life once this diet is done. I am sitting here with my second cup of coffee, in my size 8 jeans. Yes, size 8. And they fit comfortably.
I still don’t know if I am crazy, or even if I will pass out from hunger on Monday when I have another long day at work. I am particularly concerned with brain function. I am a teacher, so I need to be firing on all four cylinders in order to best serve my students. Hopefully, in writing this blog, I have proven that my brain is working just fine as of now, but I am paying close attention to my focus and clarity.
I promised I would talk about cost, here goes. The 35 lb program (43 days) costs $300. I know this sounds steep, but let me put it this way. I have been paying a personal trainer since November. I have met with her once a week, sometimes twice a week since the second week in November. She costs $25 a session. I love my trainer, she is fun, she has taught me a lot, and I have seen muscles building under my fat layers. You do the math though. She has cost far more than this diet has, and this diet has already yielded the same results in one week that had taken months to produce before. I also am paying a $50 a month gym membership for my family, childcare included. If this one time, $300 plan can get me to my healthy weight in 43 days or less, I feel like I have made a smart choice. I will still be meeting with my trainer during this time because I also want to build new muscle, and on this plan I will actually be able to see those muscles without that layer of fat covering them.
This week has been incredible in so many ways. I am losing so much of that unwanted fat. I feel great (for the most part). I am developing healthier eating habits. And, I think this may be part of the plan, because supposedly this plan keeps you at a healthy weight for life, I am actually craving my healthy fish, spinach and strawberries for lunch. I have never in my life craved healthy food, always carbs and sugars. I will keep you updated.
Shell Bella
Related Video - HCG from Proven Company!
So, The real reason I am writing this blog is because I wanted to record my new journey on the HCG diet. The HCG diet is a diet that uses the pregnancy hormone, HCG, to mobilize the fat stores in your body and use them as food.
Let me start by saying that I am NOT looking for the easy way out. I have an underactive thyroid and am being treated with levothyroxin. I have also been going to the gym 2-5 times a week. During the time I was going 5 times a week regularly, I only lost 4 pounds. It took me almost a year to lose 10lbs. My own mommy can attest, I was doing everything right.
I even ate healthy, I cut down portion sizes and chose healthy snacks. Our shopping habits had changed; we now went to Country Fresh Produce and loaded up on fresh veggies every week. I gave up soda and drank more water. Yes, I would indulge of course, but I always watched my calories. Nothing was working- even the hard, healthy way.
I did find a love for zumba, and a tolerance for some other cardio machines, so I will say that I have developed healthy habits. I don’t want to pretend I didn’t at least feel better while making healthy choices. I did. I just lost momentum because I was not seeing any progress. It was alot easier to say yes to a swiss cake roll or a big bowl of cereal, because, well, why the hell not? I mean, staying away from those things wasn’t helping those size 8 jeans fit comfortably. I realized I had to do something when I started drinking soda again. I was on a downward spiral that would lead to a big, fat, unhappy, and most importantly, unhealthy me.
When I first started going to the gym regularly and watching my diet, I weight 171lbs. I was a size 12. I know it’s not horrible, heck, not even above average in America. But you know how some girls look ok, and even pretty with a little fat on their face? I do not. I got down to 161 lbs while going to the gym and eating almost nothing. I then plateaud and even gained a little while still keeping up with the same diet. I did give myself Saturday and Sunday off, but during the week I ate very healthy. When I lost momentum I slowly crept back up to 166.
Back when I was pregnant I had a lot of back problems so I started seeing this chiropractor, Dr. Luke Reineck at Living With Motion. He was a nice guy, really easy to talk to. He also wanted his patients to know the cause of their discomfort and how it would progress with time. He didn’t just crack your back and send you on your way, he also gave you exercises to help build the strength of your spine so you won’t have to keep coming back for life. There’s a point to this. My baby is now 2 years old and I hadn’t seen Dr. Reineck since I had her, because when she left my uterus she took the back pain with her. I read a post he had put on Facebook about his weight loss plan, and since I had some time I went ahead a researched it.
It was the HCG plan. The science behind it is that some doctor guy noticed malnourished pregnant women were producing perfectly healthy babies. He attributed this to the HCG hormone, which activated the emergency fat stores in our body (hips, thighs, belly, back of the arms, ring a bell?) and used those fat stores to feed the baby. Well, this same concept would work with non-pregnant people, like myself, in activating my booty and turning it into food.
This doesn’t come free or easy though, it only works in a severely low calorie diet. 500 calories low. I kept coming across the same negative comments over and over again. “Anyone would lose weight without these drops on such a low amount of food.” I disagree, because I have tried low calorie diets. I had my trainer tell me I was eating too many calories and my doctor tell me I may not be eating enough for my weight. It’s so complicated that I never knew if I was doing it right or not. It was very frustrating. Like, I’m gonna go to McDonald’s and eat a 3 peice chicken selects meal WITH fries WITH ranch dressing AND a coke AND a cherry pie because nothing is working anyway and I might as well be FAAAAATTTT. (break down into sobs)
The HCG drops help in two ways with the low calories- First, if I were to go on a low calorie diet without HCG, my body would go into starvation mode and hold on to every little thing I ate, making it easier to gain weight in the long run. I am no scientist but I feel like this would also be detrimental to my already underactive thyroid. With HCG, your fat is actually food. I think what this means is that your body is tricked. It doesn’t know it’s not being fed so it doesn’t stop processing and flushing out what you are eating. According to the pamphlet I got from Dr. Reineck, the drops push from 2500-4000 extra fat calories into activity every day. Even I know that 3500 calories equals a pound. This makes sense when they say people lose from .5 to 1 lb a day on this plan. Second, because the HCG drops turn your fat into food, you shouldn’t feel like you are starving yourself. You don’t feel hungry because, well, you are “eating” plenty of calories.
So, Let me tell you how my first week went on the plan.
I started on Monday by meeting with Dr. Reineck for a consultation. I already knew I was going on this diet so I came prepared to pay. My goal is to lose 35 lbs. The ideal wieght for my height is 129, and I am aiming for 130. Dr. Reineck told me I could meet that goal in 43 days. He gave me the pamphlet that goes with the program, though I already knew most of the information because, well, I am not paying a ton of money for something I know nothing about. I did my research. We went through the packet together, and he told me to start with two days of fat loading. He actually told me to eat everything I wanted for the next two days and enjoy. He actually told me that it would be harmful to the program if I did not load enough fat. I lit up right away because I was thinking “McDonald’s.”
I spent the next two days eating everything I wanted. I made certain to eat my favorites that I knew I couldn’t have for the next 43 days. It was like preparing the last meal before going to the chair. In my mind, this strict diet woiuld be like death because I love food. I had my chicken selects. I had a lot of coke, even after coke didn’t sound good anymore. I made macaroni and cheese and ate most of it by myself. I had a raw hot dog, because, well, I could. I was already using the drops and honestly by dinner time of that second night I wasn’t hungry, I didn’t want to eat anymore.
My wieght did not go up these two days, but Dr. Reineck assured me that if it did it would be gone in three days. I was 165 on Tuesday night.
Wednesday morning brought fear. The program suggests that you skip breakfast, which I do anyway. It allows for all the coffee, tea, water, unsweetened and un-fake-sweetened drinks you could ask for. This includes freshly squeezed lemonade. The program pamphlet also gives some tasty drink recipes. I just loaded up on coffee that morning. Stevia and Xylitol are a natural calorie free sweeteners and are allowed on this program in moderation. I don’t know how moderate I have been really, because Stevia has been my savior this week. For dinner and lunch, I was to choose from a very short list one vegetable, one fruit, and one protein. The protein must be 3.5 oz pre-cooked. Which is kind of small. For lunch I had an apple, baked tilapia, and three celery stalks. I was not hungry when I was done, that small amount of food had satisfied me. I did have the munchies though. I am used to grabbing a little piece of chocolate or a handful of almonds as an afternoon snack. This is strictly forbidden. If I eat too many calories or the wrong food, the hcg would not work. I had to remind myself that I was not hungry and I did not deserve to be fat. It was easier to remind myself when I thought of the overall cost of the program. I’ll get to that part later though.
For dinner that night, I had half a grapefruit sweetened with truvia, three egg whites, and peppers. The pepper I had wasn’t really included on the plan, but I had to choose a different veggie than I had for lunch, and my choices were limited. That is another aspect of the diet, you should not eat the same fruit, veggie, and protein twice in the same day. This means that lunch and dinner should be totally different. I really wanted to eat a bowl of cereal when I got home that night. Wednesday is my long day at work and I am used to eating when I got home at 10. I tuned into my stomach, which told me it was not hungry. I had a cup of tea instead.
The next morning I weighed myself again. 164.2. I had lost a little over a pound in one day. I have never had results like this before. That was the motivation I needed to stick with the diet one more day to see what would happen. I should mention that I was skeptical. I wondered if the diet would really work without the hormones, or work at all. I was shocked when that number went down so fast, but I held that after two days of fat loading and one day of eating less than 500 calories, of course I would lose weight.
Tuesday and Thursday went much the same. I was ecstatic when I realized I could eat a whole cucumber, or a cup and a half of spinach. That meant I could chew longer, which made me feel more full. I also was really happy with the “dessert” which was my fruit. I had a grapefruit warmed with cinnamon and stevia, a bowl of strawberries- with stevia. I find myself looking forward to these healthy foods. Othe items allowed on this diet are mustard, seasonings, like garlic, one lemon a day- I use mine for lemonade, fat free chicken broth (2 cups a day), and hot peppers.
On Thursday night I made a chicken breast on the stove with chicken broth. I had one whole tomato diced with some hot peppers to make a salsa. I cut my chicken into really small pieces and had that with my salsa. It was the most delicious meal ever, if a little small. In short, if these meals are prepared correctly they really are delicious. Presentation is key here.
I had gone to the gym to work with my personal trainer on Thursday morning, too. This is probably why when I weighed myself on Friday morning I found a 3 lb loss. I was at 161.6. I won’t withhold here though. I didn’t feel hungry and i had no cravings, and I didn’t feel tired. I didn’t even feel tired when it was bedtime. I felt something else… I don’t know how to describe it, but I’ll try. It was a little weak, but not constantly. If I stand up too fast I get ligthheaded. This doesn’t happen all day, mostly at night when I am tired anyway. I think this may be a withdraw symptom of sorts. It is nothing too noticable, but it is there nonetheless.
It is now Saturday morning. I weigh 159.4 This is the lowest I have weighed since before I got pregnant with my third daughter. That is a 2lb loss from yesterday. I have lost 6 lbs in 3 days. I can’t deny that something is working. I am waiting to see if this HCG regulates the hypothalmus as it s supposed to do. Dr. Reineck even told me that it might regulate my thyroid, meaning I won’t have to be on levothyroxin once a day for the rest of my life once this diet is done. I am sitting here with my second cup of coffee, in my size 8 jeans. Yes, size 8. And they fit comfortably.
I still don’t know if I am crazy, or even if I will pass out from hunger on Monday when I have another long day at work. I am particularly concerned with brain function. I am a teacher, so I need to be firing on all four cylinders in order to best serve my students. Hopefully, in writing this blog, I have proven that my brain is working just fine as of now, but I am paying close attention to my focus and clarity.
I promised I would talk about cost, here goes. The 35 lb program (43 days) costs $300. I know this sounds steep, but let me put it this way. I have been paying a personal trainer since November. I have met with her once a week, sometimes twice a week since the second week in November. She costs $25 a session. I love my trainer, she is fun, she has taught me a lot, and I have seen muscles building under my fat layers. You do the math though. She has cost far more than this diet has, and this diet has already yielded the same results in one week that had taken months to produce before. I also am paying a $50 a month gym membership for my family, childcare included. If this one time, $300 plan can get me to my healthy weight in 43 days or less, I feel like I have made a smart choice. I will still be meeting with my trainer during this time because I also want to build new muscle, and on this plan I will actually be able to see those muscles without that layer of fat covering them.
This week has been incredible in so many ways. I am losing so much of that unwanted fat. I feel great (for the most part). I am developing healthier eating habits. And, I think this may be part of the plan, because supposedly this plan keeps you at a healthy weight for life, I am actually craving my healthy fish, spinach and strawberries for lunch. I have never in my life craved healthy food, always carbs and sugars. I will keep you updated.
Shell Bella
Related Video - HCG from Proven Company!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Stress reduction may be the key to reducing your allergy symptoms!
In the New York Times for August, 17th 2009, the title was “REALLY: Stress Can Make Allergies Worse?” The Times wrote about the recent research done showing how psychological factors like stress and anxiety could exacerbate allergy symptoms. Scientist believe that the increase in symptoms is due to the fact stress can affect the immune system response, causing elevated levels of substance that heighten the allergic response. With the general population being overly stressed, it’s never been more important to include some form of stress reduction to your daily routine. The scientist went on to say that this could be why some allergy sufferer’s are unaffected by using standard treatments for hay fever, like antihistamines. The most recent study on the affects of stress on allergy symptoms was done at Ohio State University.
“On two different days the scientists subjected hay fever sufferers to a series of skin prick tests to measure their responses to allergens, including the size of the wheals they developed. On one day the subjects gave speeches to a panel and then had to solve math questions in their heads, this was the stressor group. On the other day they had less stressful tasks, like reading magazines. Wheal diameters increased after the stressor, the scientists wrote, compared to a slight decrease following the control task. Even a day after the stressor, the most anxious subjects continued to show severe symptoms, suggesting a lingering response from the anxiety.”
This is a great article showing how stress not only causes symptoms related to muscular tension, headaches, lack of energy but also its affects on a more biological level. The fact that increased stress from an emotional stressor can alter the way your body reacts to your environment is very important. Studies like the one done at OSU has lead to the most innovative, alternative therapy to reduce stress from thousands of potential sources. Several years ago, Bioveda Technologies, developed the BAX3000 based on the fact that stress either causes or exacerbates 80-85% of all illness and disease. BAX3000 provides
positive reconditioning through Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy so the body no longer reacts inappropriately to a harmless substance such as dog dander. As stated previously, your nervous system triggers a reaction or series of events because it sensed something in your environment to be stressful. By training the nervous system to NOT become stressed from a harmless substance during substance specific exposure, we are able to stop the reaction or event, before it becomes a symptom or condition. In other words, your body is now OK with dogs because your Autonomic Nervous System no longer sees things related to dogs as a threat and does not launch a heightened immune response. Living with Motion Chiropractic has been using the BAX3000 for over a year with success rates as high as 75-80%. We have the technology to modulate the stress response using light therapy to help many patients with numerous conditions, with allergies being at the top of the list. Follow the link to see more on the BAX3000 and how stress reduction is achieved with this amazing technology! www.livingwithmotion.com
“On two different days the scientists subjected hay fever sufferers to a series of skin prick tests to measure their responses to allergens, including the size of the wheals they developed. On one day the subjects gave speeches to a panel and then had to solve math questions in their heads, this was the stressor group. On the other day they had less stressful tasks, like reading magazines. Wheal diameters increased after the stressor, the scientists wrote, compared to a slight decrease following the control task. Even a day after the stressor, the most anxious subjects continued to show severe symptoms, suggesting a lingering response from the anxiety.”
This is a great article showing how stress not only causes symptoms related to muscular tension, headaches, lack of energy but also its affects on a more biological level. The fact that increased stress from an emotional stressor can alter the way your body reacts to your environment is very important. Studies like the one done at OSU has lead to the most innovative, alternative therapy to reduce stress from thousands of potential sources. Several years ago, Bioveda Technologies, developed the BAX3000 based on the fact that stress either causes or exacerbates 80-85% of all illness and disease. BAX3000 provides
positive reconditioning through Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy so the body no longer reacts inappropriately to a harmless substance such as dog dander. As stated previously, your nervous system triggers a reaction or series of events because it sensed something in your environment to be stressful. By training the nervous system to NOT become stressed from a harmless substance during substance specific exposure, we are able to stop the reaction or event, before it becomes a symptom or condition. In other words, your body is now OK with dogs because your Autonomic Nervous System no longer sees things related to dogs as a threat and does not launch a heightened immune response. Living with Motion Chiropractic has been using the BAX3000 for over a year with success rates as high as 75-80%. We have the technology to modulate the stress response using light therapy to help many patients with numerous conditions, with allergies being at the top of the list. Follow the link to see more on the BAX3000 and how stress reduction is achieved with this amazing technology! www.livingwithmotion.com
Friday, April 1, 2011
Managing Stress Caused by our Food
In a previous article I wrote about the different forms stress can present itself. Things like emotions, physical and chemical stressors can all put our body in a state of stress. This then will engage the natural response of a “fight or flight” mode, which can become chronic if we don’t properly handle the stressor. In this article I want to address the biggest stress trigger – the food we eat. The good news is that it’s the one stressor that we can change with a little effort to help in managing stress. The saying, “We are what we eat” is very true but it’s not always just about calories. There are new studies that show what you put in your body is much more than just calories. The quality of food you consume directly influences your genes and the stress response.
Many of us have seen the movie Super Size Me with Morgan Spurlock. For those who have not seen it, it’s a documentary of what would happen if someone ate fast food three times a day for one month. I think most of us realize that it is extremely unhealthy eating processed, fried food loaded with trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and calories. Health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even a fatty liver are concerns with this kind of diet. During the movie Morgan Spurlock would eat all fast food and routinely get his blood work and weight checked to see the direct impact of fast food on your health. What was disturbing besides his overall decline of physical health was how his personality changed. He became aggressive, depressed, foggy and only felt better when he ate more fast food. Think about that and the difference between a drug or alcohol addict. Not much difference! Morgan Spurlock became addicted to that type of food and felt drugged because of it, pointing to the fact it’s laced with chemical additives.
Fast food is not the only culprit of genetically modified, nutrient depleted and petrochemically filled foods. Unfortunately many of our foods are becoming more foreign to our cells because of the way they are now grown, treated with pesticides and fertilizers, then shipped thousands of miles away to the grocery stores. According to the book, “The Ultramind Solution” by Dr. Mark Hyman – the stress response in our body created by “foreign” molecules in food is called xenohormesis. The concept of xenohormesis describes how the stress-related cascade of events can lead to making us sick. The foods we eat directly impact the state of our health. We have a choice between a greasy hamburger and a grilled chicken salad. We all need to focus more on making the correct decisions. It’s interesting to see the correlation of increased child obesity and the increase in brain dysfunction. More studies are pointing to the close correlation between obesity and the rise of ADHD and other behavior problems in children.
Parents already have a daunting task of raising children with so many crazy external influences today. However, its so important to think about the nutrients in the food we feed our children and maybe more importantly the quality of that food. For instance, Fruit Loops that market themselves as a food high in anti-oxidants is probably not the best choice! Those foods are not sending the right message to our body. Just like Morgan Spurlock, kids and even adults will crave that food if given a chance and will begin stress-related events that can make them sick. My advice is to fill your house with “whole” foods, preferably organic if you can, to force yourself to eat foods high in minerals and nutrients naturally. For those on the run, plan ahead, and supplement with whole food supplements to ensure that you always get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. If you would like more info on ways to begin managing stress in your life, please contact Living with Motion Chiropractic at (513) 831-4433.
Related Info
Free Report: Environmental Concerns And Symptoms Your Child May Be Experiencing
Many of us have seen the movie Super Size Me with Morgan Spurlock. For those who have not seen it, it’s a documentary of what would happen if someone ate fast food three times a day for one month. I think most of us realize that it is extremely unhealthy eating processed, fried food loaded with trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and calories. Health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and even a fatty liver are concerns with this kind of diet. During the movie Morgan Spurlock would eat all fast food and routinely get his blood work and weight checked to see the direct impact of fast food on your health. What was disturbing besides his overall decline of physical health was how his personality changed. He became aggressive, depressed, foggy and only felt better when he ate more fast food. Think about that and the difference between a drug or alcohol addict. Not much difference! Morgan Spurlock became addicted to that type of food and felt drugged because of it, pointing to the fact it’s laced with chemical additives.
Fast food is not the only culprit of genetically modified, nutrient depleted and petrochemically filled foods. Unfortunately many of our foods are becoming more foreign to our cells because of the way they are now grown, treated with pesticides and fertilizers, then shipped thousands of miles away to the grocery stores. According to the book, “The Ultramind Solution” by Dr. Mark Hyman – the stress response in our body created by “foreign” molecules in food is called xenohormesis. The concept of xenohormesis describes how the stress-related cascade of events can lead to making us sick. The foods we eat directly impact the state of our health. We have a choice between a greasy hamburger and a grilled chicken salad. We all need to focus more on making the correct decisions. It’s interesting to see the correlation of increased child obesity and the increase in brain dysfunction. More studies are pointing to the close correlation between obesity and the rise of ADHD and other behavior problems in children.
Parents already have a daunting task of raising children with so many crazy external influences today. However, its so important to think about the nutrients in the food we feed our children and maybe more importantly the quality of that food. For instance, Fruit Loops that market themselves as a food high in anti-oxidants is probably not the best choice! Those foods are not sending the right message to our body. Just like Morgan Spurlock, kids and even adults will crave that food if given a chance and will begin stress-related events that can make them sick. My advice is to fill your house with “whole” foods, preferably organic if you can, to force yourself to eat foods high in minerals and nutrients naturally. For those on the run, plan ahead, and supplement with whole food supplements to ensure that you always get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. If you would like more info on ways to begin managing stress in your life, please contact Living with Motion Chiropractic at (513) 831-4433.
Related Info
Free Report: Environmental Concerns And Symptoms Your Child May Be Experiencing
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