Ginger Mint Shrimp for the HCG diet

Week 3 of the HCG diet. My midsection and thighs have melted away – I look, well, like I used to. Which is pretty darn exciting to me. Here’s how it went this week.

Day 14  January 13
Down another half pound. Constipation overcompensation today. That’s all I’m going to say about that! I feel great in the morning, fatigued by afternoon.

Day 15   January 14
Down one pound. Very productive day. As per usual, energy leaked out by 2 pm. I’m not hungry, though.

Day 16  January 15
Up a half pound today. Otherwise, same stuff, different day.

Day 17   January 16
Uh oh. Scale didn’t budge this am. Could I be reaching the dreaded plateau? Not at all excited about this. If still no change tomorrow, will have to cut something out. Like what? My breadstick that is the circumference of a Q tip? My freaking apple?

Day 18   January 17
Weight down a full pound today, whew. I get to keep my tiny breadstick. Methinks my world has shrunk.

Day 19   January 18
Down another pound. Getting close to that goal. Boredom has set in. I’m tired of the few choices I have for meals. (Yes, whining – so unattractive but necessary sometimes.) Enter lifesaver Lei Venus with a recipe she has concocted for me of ginger shrimp with mint. We eat it with delicious microgreens dressed with the kai (sauce) the shrimp was poached in. Breaking the boredom cycle. (The chips in the photo are for her; she doesn’t need to lose any weight.)

Finishing up art project for the Sketchbook project. Better than doing is done.

The Girlfriend Cafe

Day 20   January 19
Weight no change today. Tired in afternoon and evening. To bed by 9 pm. Sleeping really well. Not hungry. Just bored.

Day 21   January 20
Down half pound this am. Took my last shot of HCG today. Just 2 more days of the VLCD (very low calorie diet) til it clears my system. Feeling really energetic in am, tired by afternoon. Mind numbing routine here. My clothes are hanging off me. Gonna have to pack away all my fat clothes, hopefully for all eternity.

Day 22   January 21
No change in weight. I may not lose any more if I am at ideal weight. I arbitrarily picked 135 as my goal, but my body may decide 136 is where I belong. Hunger should be the key. I’m hungry a little today, so that may be it. When the abnormal fat stores are depleted, hunger sets in, supposedly. We’ll see. One more day til the next phase of maintenance.

I’ve lost 15 pounds on my Most Excellent Menopause Diet Adventure. That’s a turkey! Or 3 bags of sugar! I have a 13 pound cat that I hate to pick up because she’s so heavy. I was dragging more than her around with me all day!!! I’m just sayin’……

Lei’s HCG diet recipe for Ginger Mint Shrimp. Measure out 100 gm raw shrimp (shelled and deveined) and set aside.  Slice longitudinally a 2 inch piece of ginger root. Add the ginger, sea salt and pepper to taste,  and 1 Tbsp of fresh chopped mint to  a cup of water. Simmer the water, ginger, and mint til half the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook til just pink. Serve. Pour remaining sauce over microgreens. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more musings on the first 3 weeks of maintenance – the next stop on my journey. Oh and here it is again:

Big Fat Disclaimer For Obvious Legal Reasons: This diet is not for everyone – you must be followed by an MD or nurse practitioner who prescribe it for you. The FDA has not approved HCG for weight loss (but a physician can prescribe it for this use.) It is rigorous and requires discipline. I am not recommending this to anyone, just passing on my experience as information. Do with it what you will. Talk with your own health care practitioner.

Oh, I have mostly heard of integrative medicine or holistic physicians prescribing this. Just like with bioidentical hormones. To find a practitioner near you, check out American Holistic Medical Association or Women in Balance. Okay, enough with the disclaimer. You’re women. You’re smart and can think for yourself.