HCG Experiment: Healthygirl

Due to medical issues, Healthygirl will no longer be able to participate. This thread is closed.

Healthygirl Introduction:

Hi, Everyone!

I am forty-three, and I’ve been overweight since childhood. The only way I’ve ever been able to lose weight was on some weird diet (remember the Beverly Hills Diet?), but as soon as I went off it all the weight would come even though I was eating fewer calories than most people.

Now when I look back I see I’ve had undiagnosed thyroid problems since childhood. For the last five years I’ve been on thyroid medication with a few different doctors but it’s never fixed the weight issue. I thought HCG would reset my hypothalamus (guess I got that crazy idea from the hcg forums, since it’s nowhere in P&I) so I could be a healthy weight, but now after doing numerous rounds of the HCG protocol I gain weight faster than I ever did before. Even though I lost weight with the HCG protocol it did not help my metabolism and it definitely did not reset my hypothalamus, which I now know is impossible. Nothing can ‘reset’ the hypothalamus.

After some recent blood tests I found out that I not only still have thyroid issues but I also have insulin resistance and leptin resistance, or the “triple whammy” as SugarFree calls it.

I’m looking forward to starting the SugarFree Protocol to help heal my broken metabolism while losing weight at the same time. I chose the name Healthygirl because I hope to be very healthy soon.

I’ll be posting my report for my first day on the SFP tonight — wish me luck!

Healthygirl’s First SFP Report

SFP, Week 1, Day 1 – My first day

Height: 5′ 7″

Weight: 169 pounds

Measurements:

Bust: 39”
Waist: 33”
Hips: 44”

Breakfast: Lots of water (I don’t do coffee or tea)

Lunch:

– 6 oz organic ground beef
– 3 oz cauliflower
– 4 oz greens mix

Dinner:

– 2 medium eggs
– 2 egg yolks
– 6 oz broccoli
– .5 tsp ghee

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 710
Fat: 54.9 grams (70 %)
Protein: 47.3 grams (26 %)
Carbohydrates: 6.7 (4 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 97
– 1 hour pp: 96 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 99 (lunch)

I’m pear shaped and even though I have a defined waist I have a lot of fat to lose “below the belt” especially in the thigh area. I have trouble finding pants to fit; they’re always too tight in the thighs and too big in the waist.

I’m surprised at my fasting glucose level today. You’d think after eating mostly spinach, cucumbers, chicken breasts and apples for a majority of the last 3 years the level would be lower.

I ate earlier than I normally would. Even though I wasn’t very hungry I really enjoyed the organic ground beef. I haven’t had ground beef in a long time and eating it mixed with the greens made it like a taco salad.

SFP, Week 1, Day 2

Weight: 166.6 pounds = down 2.4 pounds

Lunch:

– 6 oz tri tip steak
– 3 oz kale
– 2 oz avocado
– 6 oz tomato
– 3 oz red pepper

Dinner:

– 2 medium eggs
– 1 egg yolk
– 6 oz broccoli
– 2 tsp ghee

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 741
Fat: 50.4 grams (61 %)
Protein: 53.9 grams (29 %)
Carbohydrates: 17.9 grams (10 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 86
– 1 hour pp: 116 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 100 (lunch)

It was great to see the weight loss today. I had been retaining water the last few days so I kind of expected this much of a drop. The true test will be what happens from now on. I’m glad to see the drop in my fasting glucose too.

I added a tomato to lunch today and whenever I ate tomatoes on the HCG protocol I would not lose weight so I’m curious to see what happens when I eat the tomato now.

I had a headache last night and a little headache today which is not typical for me. Sugarfree says it should subside as my body adjusts to the new way of eating.

My 1-hour PP seems too high. My body must think the tomato is sugar.

[Note: Great day, great loss! As for the tomato, your body doesn’t ‘think’ the tomato is sugar. The tomato IS sugar once the body gets done converting it to glucose. So if you are insulin resistant, it’s best to go slow, go small. Two ounces of a possibly problematic food to start is usually a good way to go. That might mean half a tomato, though a most of mine are about that size. A six-ounce tomato is almost half a pound. Woof! :)]

SFP Stage 1, Week 1, Day 3

Weight: 166.6= no change

Lunch:

– 3.5 oz tri tip steak
– 8 oz steamed broccoli
– 2.5 oz sour cream
– 2 oz potato

Dinner:

– 3.5 oz tri tip steak
– 10 oz aspargus
– 3 tsp ghee

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 766
Fat: 51.6 grams (61 %)
Protein: 52.3 grams (27 %)
Carbohydrates: 23 grams (12 %)

FitDay Stats, Corrected:

Total Calories: 709
Fat: 45.7 grams (58 %)
Protein: 51.5 grams (29%)
Carbohydrates: 23 grams (13 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 87
– 1 hour pp: 97 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 98 (lunch)

No change in weight today but I’m glad the tomato from yesterday didn’t make me gain. [Note: It’s impossible to ‘gain’ measurable fat overnight or even in a week unless you’re eating something like 10,000 calories a day. If you eat a lot of carbs you can see an upward change on the scale, but that’s not a gain, that’s just water that will disappear in a few days.]

I’ve eaten eggs almost daily for the last month so a day without them is a nice change. I usually only eat potatoes at Thanksgiving and Christmas and sometimes not even then so I’m hoping by keeping it to just 2 oz today there will be no ill effects. [Note: Any ‘ill effects’ would have been immediately apparent on your glucose meter. As I’m fond of saying, the meter never lies. :)]

Steak is one of my favorite foods so I enjoyed my lunch today. I didn’t realize just how much sour cream you get in 2.5 oz. It was more than I expected so I had enough for the potato and for the broccoli too. Yum! [Note: Unfortunately you didn’t put in the type of steak you ate so your stats were off. Now corrected.]

Hunger hasn’t been much of an issue the last two days but today I was hungry two hours after eating lunch and I was really sleepy at the same time. I could hardly keep my eyes open. [Note: As has been previously noted, try to have the bulk of your animal protein in one meal — the first, if you can do it — and then a simple light meal for dinner. I see there was no headache today — all symptoms should disappear within a week or so.]

SFP Stage 1, Week 1, Day 4

Weight: 166.2= down .4 pounds

Lunch:

– 6.5 oz tri tip steak
– 8 oz broccoli
– 4 oz mixed greens

Dinner:

– 1 medium egg
– 2 egg yolks
– 2 tsp ghee
– 1 oz shredded raw cheddar cheese
– 1 oz raw cream
– 3 oz mushrooms
– 2 oz red peppers

FitDay Stats:
Total Calories: 729
Fat: 49.7 grams (61 %)
Protein: 59.9 grams (33 %)
Carbohydrates: 10.5 grams (6 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 90
– 1 hour pp: 87 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 99 (lunch)

I’ve been struggling with an allergic reaction to dairy so unfortunately, after today, I’m going to have to cut out the cream and cheese and stick with ghee, meat fat, and coconut oil for my fats.

Whenever I’m trying to lose weight I seem to get hungry a little while after eating; even more hungry than before I ate. Today was no exception. I don’t know why it happens but it occurred frequently on the HCG protocol too no matter how many green leafy vegetables I ate.

[Note: This is one symptom of being hyperinsulinemic, which you are. The high levels of insulin in your body at all times is preventing you from entering extended lipolysis. Only lipolysis opens the adipose fat cells, liberates the fat, and burns it for fuel. When that happens, it’s as if you had eaten many more calories than you have and thus you are not hungry.

Plus, when  you are hyperinsulinemic, your insulin tends to deplete all your blood sugar very quickly — much more quickly than is normal — so your brain sends out hunger signals.

Although it will take several weeks of following the protocol for your insulin levels to fall, you can  help things along by following the protocol more precisely. You need to eat 25 grams of carbohydrates a day, and you are not doing that. I’ve tweaked your Fitday menus as best I can, but can’t really add foods that aren’t there.

Today, for instance, you would have been less hungry if at lunch, you had eaten a small baked potato with the ghee you had for dinner — and if you had eaten another veggie with lunch, and with dinner as well. I haven’t seen any salad dressing on your Fitday menus, so you might want to add one if you haven’t been using one. Make up your own vinaigrette if you like, or one with mayonnaise.

The good news is that as your insulin levels fall, lipolysis will take place, your stored fat will be liberated and used for fuel, you will thus be less hungry, and your weight loss rate will increase. Hang in there! :)]

SFP Stage 1, Week 1, Day 5

Weight: 165.9= down .3 pounds

Lunch:

– 8 oz chicken thighs
– 4 oz snow peas
– 4 oz arugula greens
– 6 oz cauliflower
– 2.5 tsp ghee

Dinner:

– 3 oz tri tip steak
– 4 oz asparagus
– 2.5 tsp ghee
– 4 oz mustard greens

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 771
Fat: 50.6 grams (60 %)
Protein: 56.9 grams (29 %)
Carbohydrates: 22 grams (11 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 77
– 1 hour pp: 90 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 89 (lunch)

As per Sugarfree’s comments I ate more carbs today by adding in some cauliflower for lunch. The chicken thighs were “finger licking good,” as they say. I haven’t had dark meat chicken in so long I forgot how good it tastes and having ghee all over the vegetables was delicious.

Sugarfree is right about eating the majority of your meat for your first meal of the day. You get less hungry throughout the day by having a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner. I’d still like to have a little more meat for dinner but hopefully I’ll get used to having little or no meat at dinner and the vegetables will eventually fill me up. All in all, today was a good day.

SFP Stage 1, Week 1, Day 6

Weight: 166.0= up .1 pound

Lunch:

– 7 oz chicken thighs
– 8 oz collard greens
– 2 oz potato

Dinner:

– 4 oz tri tip steak
– 8 oz asparagus
– 3 tsp ghee
– 1 Tbsp coconut cream

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 758
Fat: 49.3.6 grams (59 %)
Protein: 57.2 grams (30 %)
Carbohydrates: 21.3 grams (11 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 76
– 1 hour pp: 92 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 83 (lunch)

I’m starting to crave something sweet. I’ve been wistfully eying the watermelon that’s sitting on the counter waiting to be cut (for the rest of my family) and whenever I see one of them eating an apple it makes me want one too. Last night I had a dream I was eating candy. In the dream I was eating gummy bears and tootsie rolls which is funny because they aren’t my favorite kinds of candy … I prefer good chocolate. It occurred to me that gummy bears and tootsie rolls are a more “sugary” kind of candy than I’d normally choose so maybe that’s why I dreamt I was eating that kind, to represent sugar.

Today I was ravenously hungry while eating lunch but thankfully the hunger subsided a little while after eating.

[Note: I’m not surprised you were hungry eating lunch. You ate a starchy carb without fat, which as you know you cannot do on this protocol. The potato was fine, but should have been eaten with all your ghee for the day. More ghee would have been better than the coconut cream since you need animal fat. And it’s best to eat all your meat with lunch. For dinner, salad and a hard-boiled egg and any green leafy veg (not asparagus, which would have been fine for lunch though). And finally, why eat only 8 ounces of greens at lunch, and not a nice salad as well? Or add another green leafy veg? I hope you will follow the protocol as created for you for at least one full week and then see how it goes.]

I know I’ve only been on the SFP for 6 days but I have to admit I was disappointed in my weight today. Last week, before starting the SFP, my weight was between 165 and 166. I gained 3 pounds of water weight just before starting the SFP so now I’ve lost the water weight but it’s disappointing to weigh the same as last week when I was eating more calories. I got used to seeing the number on the scale drop every day while on the HCG protocol which was very motivating. But then again, once I would stop the HCG protocol the number on the scale would go up each day (which was very depressing,) so really, what good is it if the number on the scale goes down if it just goes right back up again when you eat more than 500 calories a day?

[Note: Absolutely nothing — which is why the true measurement of your IR will show up on Monday, when you measure yourself. If you’ve lost anything around your waist then the scale is only showing water weight. If you haven’t, then you are so insulin and thyroid hormone resistant that medication along with the protocol will be required to get your body to stop storing every mouthful you eat, instead of properly burning it.

Stand this week’s results so far on its head. Just how insulin resistant do you have to be when you can eat fewer than 800 calories a day — 1200 calories a day fewer than you really need, which is 8400 calories less in a week — and still not lose substantial weight? I’d say incredibly IR! Still, let’s see how your measurements go on Monday.]

As Sugarfree says, this is about fixing my metabolism and getting healthy and the weight loss is secondary. I’m reminding myself of that today and I am encouraged by my meter readings from the last two days.

For anyone who’s never tried Artisana raw organic coconut cream, I recommend it if you like coconut. You can add it to things to make them creamy but I like just eating a spoonful of it by itself. It’s a nice treat.

SFP Stage 1, Week 1, Day 7

Weight: 165.2 = down .8 pounds

Lunch:

– 6 oz sockeye salmon
– 7 oz cauliflower
– 4 oz kale
– 2.5 tsp ghee

Dinner:

– 1 medium egg
– 2 medium egg yolks
– 2 tsp ghee
– 5 oz mushrooms
– 3 oz sweet red peppers
– 2 oz kale
– 4 oz mixed salad greens

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 775
Fat: 51.4 grams (60 %)
Protein: 56.3 grams (29 %)
Carbohydrates: 21.9 grams (11 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 79
– 1 hour pp: 92 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 96 (lunch)

It was GREAT to see the drop on the scale and I’m happy my glucose numbers are still good.

My fresh salmon lunch was delicious but I started having an allergic reaction the ghee so I need to cut out all dairy for now. I’m really going to miss the ghee but I’ll be switching to beef tallow and leaf lard for my fats as soon as I can find a good butcher in my area. I’m looking forward to having vegetables cooked in animal fat later this week.

[Note: It is a bit harder to eat a high fat diet without dairy, but it certainly can be done. Lots of tallow, suet, lard, duck fat (Liquid Gold!) and bacon grease will work well and all are very healthy for you to eat. Great day today, too. :)]

SFP Stage 1, Week 2, Day 1

Weight: 165.2= no change

Measurements:
Bust: 39”= no change
Waist: 33”= no change
Hips: 44” = no change

[Note: This is a huge measure (pun intended) of how insulin resistant and hypothyroid you are! Not even a quarter-inch loss for the whole week shows that you never once underwent lipolysis. Hopefully the tweaks I’ve suggested for the coming week will change that. However, please make sure your GF bread is NOT Ezekiel, because it contains sugar in the form of barley malt.]

Lunch:

– 5.25 oz beef chuck roast
– 7 oz broccoli
– 4 oz arugula greens
– 1 slice gluten-free bread
– 1.5 Tbsp brazil nut butter

Dinner:

– 6 oz mixed salad greens
– 3 medium egg yolks
– ¾ Tbsp olive oil
– 1 Tbsp coconut oil
– 3 oz chicken broth

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 920
Fat: 69.2 grams (68 %)
Protein: 51.6 grams (22 %)
Carbohydrates: 22.8 grams (10 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 81
– 1 hour pp: 93 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 94 (lunch)

Today is the start of my second week on the Sugarfree Protocol. I’ve been enjoying being able to each so much broccoli. I missed being able to eat broccoli all those months while on the HCG protocol.

I had to laugh at myself today because after I had finished my lunch I realized I had forgotten to eat the bread and “butter.” I’m so used to eating just meat and veggies that the meal seemed complete without it. I had to go back and eat the bread and butter ten minutes later. It was dessert!

My calories increased today; it’s due to more fat. Sugarfree is having me decrease my protein and increase my fat while keeping the carbs the same. My sources of fat may not be ideal this week until Saturday (when I can drive out to the organic butcher I located) but for now I’ll do the best I can with my menus. I’m going to enjoy being able to eat more fat.

SFP Stage 1, Week 2, Day 2

Weight: 165.2= no change

Lunch:

– 5.25 oz salmon
– 2 oz  potato
– 2 tsp coconut oil
– 6 oz kale
– 2 oz snow peas

Dinner:

– 7 oz mixed salad greens
– 3 medium egg yolks
– 1 medium egg
– 3 oz sweet red peppers
– 1 Tbsp olive oil
– 1 Tbsp coconut oil
– juice of 1 lemon

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 922
Fat: 69 grams (67 %)
Protein: 50.5 grams (22 %)
Carbohydrates: 24.7 grams (11 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 81
– 1 hour pp: 90 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 93 (lunch)

At first it seemed a little odd putting coconut on my potato today but after I did it, it wasn’t a lot different from butter.  It was good. I’m liking my blood glucose numbers today.

SFP Stage 1, Week 2, Day 3

Weight: 164.6 = down .6 pounds

Lunch:
– 7.25 oz chicken thighs
– 6 oz asparagus
– 6 oz mushrooms
– 1 T. coconut oil
– 7 oz collard greens

Dinner:
– 12 oz mixed salad greens
– 4 oz avocado
– 1 Tbsp olive oil

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 912
Fat: 69 grams (68 %)
Protein: 50.1 grams (22 %)
Carbohydrates: 21.9 grams (10 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 81
– 1 hour pp: 90 (lunch)
– 2 hour pp: 93 (lunch)

It was nice to see the scale go down. I had some leftover chicken thighs and avocado I needed to use so they were included today. I sautéed the mushrooms in the coconut oil and they tasted great.  Tomorrow’s menu will include bacon. I can’t wait.

[Note: Sounds yummy. 🙂 You’re down nearly five pounds in less than two weeks, and I’m hoping Monday will see some inch-loss as well!]

SFP Stage 1, Week 2, Day 3

Weight: 164.6= no change

Lunch:

– 3.7 oz chuck roast
– 7  oz broccoli
– 2 oz snow peas
– 5 oz arugula
– 2.5 oz potato
– 1 Tbsp coconut oil

Dinner:

– 1  egg
– 3 egg yolks
– 3 oz red peppers
– 3 slices bacon
– 1.33 Tbsp olive oil
– .5 T. coconut oil
– 12 oz salad

FitDay Stats:

Total Calories: 926
Fat: 70.1 grams (68 %)
Protein: 50.6 grams (22 %)
Carbohydrates: 23.1 grams (10 %)

Blood Glucose:

– Fasting: 81
– 1 hour pp: 112 (lunch)  OOPS!
– 2 hour pp: 99 (lunch)

Well, now I know I have to keep it to 2 ounces of potato and not 2.5 ounces; apparently my body isn’t ready for more than 2 ounces based on my PP1 from today. I might’ve been able to keep my blood sugar steadier by adding more fat to the potato but it was already saturated and swimming in coconut oil so I thought the 1 Tbsp was enough and I was saving my other half-tablespoon to cook my eggs in for dinner. Hopefully tomorrow my glucose numbers will be better.

[Note: I’ve tweaked your Fitday for tomorrow, so yes, your numbers should be better. The high lunch PP’s weren’t just because the potato was too large for your insulin to handle, and not just because you didn’t eat enough fat (though that’s all true), it was also because you ate a sugar-veggie like snow peas with it!

Far better to have had the salad at lunch with all the olive oil, the peppers too (though half the amount), cut out the snow peas altogether (save for a no potato, no rice, no bread day), and to have had the eggs and bacon for dinner. You would have seen much better PP’s. The idea is to eat almost ALL your food at lunch — with most of the fat — and just have ‘snack-like’ dinners. If you eat sufficient food to ‘break your fast’ you won’t be hungry for hours and hours, and I promise a snack to finish the day will feel sufficient. It just takes some getting used to.

In the future, you need to eat at least 1 tablespoon of animal fat — like lard, tallow or bacon fat — with every ounce of sugar or starch veggies (potato, snow peas, red peppers, bread, rice, you have. This will ensure that they convert to glucose very, very slowly, which will keep your blood sugars under control, and allow your insulin to subside faster, thus allowing lipolysis. And yes, it will cause you to eat much less of the sugary veggies, and much more of the arugula, and broccoli type veggies — a good thing. :)]

Due to medical issues, Healthygirl will no longer be able to participate. This thread is closed.