Flying Light © lynette sheppard

Week Two of my excellent Menopause weight loss adventure is behind me now. I’ve been doing the HCG diet with daily injections of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and a 500 calorie a day specific diet. And overall, it has been relatively painless.

As of today, January 12, I have lost 11.5 pounds and broken past the 140 lb. barrier with my morning weight of 139.5. And as advertised, the weight is all melting off my midsection, thighs, and buttocks. Tatas haven’t changed. I was pretty skeptical that the weight loss would truly be so targeted. Go figure.

Day Seven   January 6
Down 1/2 pound this am. That’s  7 pounds of ugly fat gone! Slight headache which is gone after my morning coffee. Not really hungry.

Day Eight   January 7
Lost another 1/2 pound. Not hungry but tired and low energy after 2 pm.  I’ve been warned and read online in HCG diet forums that “irregularity” can result from this diet. I’m so there!

Day Nine   January  8
Lost another full pound. Am becoming one of those people obsessed with bowel function. Not a pretty development. Taking herbal laxatives and praying for relief. Oh, not hungry but a little  tired in afternoon.

Day Ten   January  9
Lost half pound. Lei Venus coming over for us to have an art day – I call and ask her to make emergency shopping stop at health food store for Smooth Move Laxative tea. Yep, I’m obsessed alright. We have a great art day and I spend productive bathroom time and all’s right with the world. Whew.

Day Eleven   January  10
Lost 1.5 pounds overnight (must have been that Smooth Move tea.). Feel weak, tired most of the day.

Day Twelve  January  11
Down another 1/2 pound. My body looks completely different – more like the me I remember from a couple years ago. Still, I feel crappy – tired, dizzy, out of it. My hubby is becoming worried that the diet may not be agreeing with me. I’m evaluating my options.

Day Thirteen  January  12
Down another half pound and feel absolutely great today. The only thing I can figure is that I must have had or been incubating some virus which never really took hold (my thanks to all the deities). I have plenty of energy – no problem working.

And I am loving what I am doing with spices, since everything must be poached, baked or broiled with no oil or anything. Curried shrimp with curried onions – yummy. Ginger 5 spiced mahimahi. Thai curry paste and shredded chicken in lettuce cups.

If all goes as the HCG diet experts say, this new found interest in spice without any additives will continue as I go into the next phase and beyond. Got to read those labels, though. I bought some garlic pepper – turns out it has corn syrup solids in it. Who knew?

Okay, goddesses, stay tuned for the next part of my excellent Menopause weight loss adventure. And here’s the disclaimer, once 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.