The Return of the HCG

As I start round (?), I have been on so many rounds, I can't remember which one this is now. Anyway, as I start this round, there is controversy due to the recent ban of HCG by the FDA. Every article I have read about the ban shows that the FDA is trying to prove that HCG is bad because of the possible side effects. Really, I think it is due to their lack of research and inability to control and make money off of it. If people use HCG and lose weight they will no longer have the need for diabetes meds and meds for hypertension, etc, thus causing the drug companies to lose money. Additionally the possible side effects they list such as, fatigue, nausea, constipation and diarrhea. Your hair might start falling out. Even worse, you may develop gallstones, which could require surgery to correct*, are side effects from a low calorie diet alone, not a low calorie diet on HCG. 

The side effects listed for HCG are Users may report incidences of headaches, blood clots, restlessness, leg cramps,constipation, temporary hair thinning, depression and male breast enlargement*. 

*http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/diets/hcg-diet3.htm

Please take note that they say "users may report" These side effects don't happen to everyone. In fact out of the several people that I know that have used HCG, none of us have had any side effects other than occasional fatigue and maybe headaches at times. I would attribute my headaches to not drinking enough water. I will say that while on HCG I feel better than I do when I am eating junk food, and the fatigue I feel is only temporary and relative to the change my body is trying to make. 

Let's take a look at some of the side effects that go along with the drugs the FDA does approve:

For Ambien (a common prescribed sleep aid):

Diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness (including daytime drowsiness); "drugged" feeling; dry mouth; headache; nausea; nose or throat irritation; sluggishness; stomach upset; weakness.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Ambien:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the hands, legs, mouth, face, lips, eyes, throat, or tongue; throat closing; unusual hoarseness); abnormal thinking; behavior changes; chest pain; confusion; decreased coordination; difficulty swallowing or breathing; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; memory problems (eg, memory loss); mental or mood changes (eg, aggression, agitation, anxiety); new or worsening depression; severe dizziness; shortness of breath; suicidal thoughts or actions; vision changes.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur

*http://www.drugs.com/sfx/ambien-side-effects.html

Prednisone: Most often it is prescribed to treat an allergic reaction, certain skin diseases, asthma attacksand severe arthritis.

More Frequent Effects

• Increased appetite: You eat too much and too regularly
• Indigestion: This could be defined as an imperfect or incomplete digestion, usually accompanied by symptoms like: pain, nausea and vomiting, acid regurgitation, heartburn, belching and accumulation of gas.
• Nervousness or restlessness: A condition of unrest and of irritability. You are very irritable and find it difficult to sit in one place

Less Common Or Rare Effects

• Changes in pigmentation: Your skin becomes lighter or darker than its normal shade.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness: Also known as Vertigo, this is a condition in which a person feels a loss of balance and dizziness, as if his or her surrounding is moving, rotating or oscillating. This can cause nausea and disability.
• Redness of the face or cheeks: A sudden rush of blood to the face causing instant redness and heat.
• Hiccups: This is an unexpected spasmodic contraction of your diaphragm, which causes a beginning of inspiration that is suddenly checked by a closure of the glottis, thus causing a characteristic sound.
• Increased sweating: You sweat profusely and uncontrollably
• Feeling of spin: You feel like you are spinning around.

Consult your doctor immediately if any of the side effects listed below occur:
Less Common Ones

• Decreased or blurred vision:  a decrease in visual acuity, [which] may be the result of errors of refraction or ocular disease.
• Frequent urination: Going to the toilet one to many times with a few minutes.
• Increased thirst: You develop an insatiable need to always ingest fluids.

Rare Effects

• Confusion: incoherence of thought causing abnormal behavior.
• Depression: A mood characterized by dejection, psychomotor hypo-activity, thoughts of hopelessness and guilt.
• Excitement: An exciting or being excited; agitation
• Hallucinations: False sensory perception characterized by a lack of external stimulus.
• False sense of being important or ill-treatment
• Mood swings (sudden and wide): Oscillation from depression to elation, as seen in cyclothymic personality or, in a more extreme degree, in alternation between manic and depressive stages of manic-depressive psychosis.
• Rash or hives: Transient ender red or bluish firm papules or nodules that occur during non-eruptive febrile diseases.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. Consult your doctor if any symptom that worries you during treatment appears.

Other Precautions Or Warnings

Diabetes: Prednisone causes a rise in blood sugar (glucose in the blood), therefore, hyperglycemia can occur, glucose tolerance may be modified and diabetes mellitus may be aggravated. People with diabetes should carefully monitor their blood sugar and report any abnormalities to their doctor.

Electrolytes: Large doses of prednisone are not compatible with electrolytes. You may have to reduce salt and potassium supplements intake.

Fertility: In some men, corticosteroids such as prednisone may increase or decrease motility and number of sperm.

Fungal infections: This medication may worsen internal fungal infections and therefore you should not take it if you have such an infection.

Infection: This medication may mask some signs of infection, and new infections may occur during treatment with prednisone.

Osteoporosis: The prolonged use of prednisone may increase the risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones).

Inform all doctors you see that you are taking prednisone. The physician should closely monitor the growth and development of infants and children receiving long-term treatment with prednisone.*

*http://www.prednisonesideeffects.org/

WOW! How fun was that reading the list of possible side effects. And look at how many people suffer from skin reactions, athsma, and arthritis, and they are still willing to look beyond the side effects and prescribe it for people. Need I go on?

The only FDA approved diet pill that I know of is Alli, which if you are willing to put up with the likely and potential side effect of crapping yourself anywhere and anytime if you eat too much fat during a meal, and it works for you, then go for it. I am all for finding the right diet that works for you. For some it is the strict "Eat right and exercise" diet, awesome. For others, we need more guidelines and less options, so we have to go for a program (I feel HCG is more of a program than a diet, because of the rules, the options, the timelines, etc, it isn't just a pill you take and then go eat). Overall, my best recommendation is to make a plan, stick to it, and find one that involves you eating REAL FOOD, not premade meals, shakes, bars, etc. I say this because you will not be on this diet forever, so what are you to do when you are done with the diet, regardless of reaching your goal weight, have you learned to cook for yourself a healthy meal? Have you learned to order healthfully when you go to restaurant? What choice do you make when the shake or the meal supplement is not available to you? These are things you are going to have to face when you are in the real world. 

So overall what I am saying is that, I feel the FDA has a different agenda and it doesn't appear to be having people's well being in mind. 

I am now on hopefully what will be my last round of HCG, I have been on it for a week and have lost 11lbs. I have not been fatigued (not crazy energetic though), no headaches (drinking more water this time), and I only get really hungry when it is close to time to eat. I eat meals that fill my whole plate, lettuce with dressing (mustard, lemon juice and stevia), 6 jumbo shrimp cooked with water and seasoning, 6 strawberries, or 1/2 cucumber, 1 orange, and 3oz tilapia cooked in water with lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and dill. All very yummy and very filling meals. The rest of the day I don't really think about eating. As long as I prepare my lunch in the morning before I leave the house, I don't feel like I have to worry about what I am going to eat. If I go out with friends I can get coffee or tea to drink, and eat later or if the restaurant has grilled chicken breast and lettuce, I usually make my own dressing with the mustard, lemon, and stevia. So there are ways to getting around going out to eat. You have to be diligent and know that it is only temporary you will be eating so little. It also reminds me of the importance of a balanced meal and has taught me how to eat fruits and veggies regularly. 

I have 30 more lbs to lose, I have already lost 60, which has taken me over 1 year to do. Sure I could have lost more by now if I did longer rounds in the past or if I just stuck to a 1-2lb week weight-loss program, however the benefit of this diet is the immediate results you see, and the fact that it resets your hypothalamus in your brain to know that you are stabilized that that weight, so you can eat regular foods and splurge (occasionally), with minimal consequence. There are also correction days you can do to reset back to your stabilization weight for those times when you do over do it. Even though I could be farther along in my weight-loss journey than I am now, I look back on it and am still proud of the accomplishments I have made. I also look at all the mess ups, the over-doing it, and the short rounds as learning experiences to know my mind and my body and how far I can push myself. I do not feel like a failure for taking a year longer to lose the weight I could have lost sooner. I feel I have succeeded for maintaining my weight (within 10lbs), for this long and not gaining back more than that. Overall it means I am staying cognitive about my body and the foods I put into it. I see the consequences of going rogue and not thinking and doing whatever I want, but I also see that I can get myself back in check. 

So, with all that being said, my stats are: R? (5or6) P2D7 Weight 175.6. This first week I have lost 11lbs but all of that was gained during my Christmas splurging, so now I am on the road to losing weight, not re-losing weight. Goal is 145. I don't have any expectations of how much per day I will lose, and right now I am not even really counting the days to P3, which is making it easier to just use the scale as a guide and not just counting down the days to the next time I can eat bacon. :)

What Will You Leave Behind?

In light of recent events, you can't help but think about the security of our own lives, and the idea of mortality sinks in even deeper. As a mom, it is hard not to become emotional thinking about losing a child or something happening to me, leaving my children behind. We cannot walk through this life thinking this is how it is and how it always will be, life comes and goes and it is about how you live it. Will you be remembered for the good that you have done? Will you be remembered for the changes you made in other peoples lives? Or will you be remembered for things other than good?  I am not writing this to put a cloud over your day, but to inspire you to contemplate your life and the fragility of it. To wake up and do what you can to inspire others and leave a legacy of only the best of things and memories behind for your friends, your family, and your children.

I am going to start simple. About 6 months ago I was looking through some magazines and realizing that I wanted to keep some of the recipes, and some of the tips pages, but not the whole magazine. I remembered about how back in jr. high and high school I would make scrapbooks with my friends by cutting out dresses in magazines that we wanted and pictures of women we wanted to be like and pasting them into a journal. So I took this idea and started making my own scrapbook of the magazine clippings, recipes, and ideas that I like. This activity lead to an idea of putting together a scrapbook for my kids containing family recipes, advice, and all the information you want to leave behind for your kids, heaven forbid you are unable to teach it to them yourself.

Not only is this a great way to ensure that your kids will know you and remember you and remember your heart, but it is also a wonderful way to start a tradition for your family. What I would't give to see a book like this from my grandmother to my mother, or to have one from my mom.

How to start:

It doesn't have to be fancy. I am not a "scrapbooker" by any means according to today's standards. I cut magazines and glue them into a journal. I don't get fancy papers or take an hour to arrange each page, not that that is bad, I just don't have the patience for it. If that is what you can do, that is wonderful! Remember this is something to be passed down throughout the years, so make it good!

1. Ideas. Start making a list of the things you wish to pass down. Some examples: advice, recipes, stories you want them to know, your own life lessons, how you met your true love, the day they were born, crafts, how to change the oil in your car (if you are handy like that), gardening, your wishes for them in their lives, how to be money saavy, your favorite websites, how to bargain, the list is limitless.

2. Once you have begun your brainstorming process, now you can begin to organize them (if you want to, I like both organized and random ways of putting things together). Decide if you want to just get a regular journal and write and/or cut and paste into it. If you do it this way, it is a little more permanent than getting a special scrapbook or a binder that allows for moving pages around. Arrange your thoughts into categories (as listed above).

3. Gather your tools: journal, paper, glue, magazines, pens, markers, crayons, what-have-you.

4. Go.
This is an ongoing project because you will of course have things come up in life that you will want to add to the book, so keep that in mind as you are working.

I decided not to put up photos just yet, because I want you to dream up your own book to pass down. Make it personal, because it is!!! Most of all - have fun!

Life is uncertain. Truly LIVE your life and you will be remembered.

Craft Shortcuts

Crafts

• When doing a craft (such as sewing something that requires eyes or circles), and you want your circles to be as round as possible and the same size, I use a button and hold it against the fabric as I cut so I can make multiple circles the same size.

Kitchen Organization

• Whether or not you live in a small space, it always feels good to utilize your space well. I live in a very small home and have a tiny kitchen, but somehow it always ends up being the place where people like to hang out when they are over. I had to find ways to make everything fit, and with only 4 regular sized cabinets, 2 drawers, and a minimal pantry, I had to do something to make it all work. I found this great idea in one of the amazing home magazines available - use chair rail around your kitchen to hang things up. We made these chair rails by getting some wood trim and screwing in some pegs (dowels cut to the same size). As you can see I was able to hang some baskets, where I keep wine corks, paper, pens, etc, I hung up my pots and pans and since they are metal I use them as a way to display photos of my family with magnets (that I also made). Another organization tool are these awesome shelves my husband made to hang on the chair rail, where I keep my vitamins and spices.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Another tip to saving space is to go to Ikea and get the book shelves that have the supports above the shelf (not below). The supports also work as book ends so things won't fall of the shelf. I hung them right below the ceiling, and above my kitchen window. This is where I keep my large spice containers, and dried goods. You can use any container for flour, beans, pasta, etc, I found a lot of mine at Bob's Red Mill, but when I find I need another, I look around for a clear plastic container such as an old almond container from Costco, or you can even keep your rice in an old clean and dry milk jug. If you use clear plastic you can lable it with a sharpie and if you later use the container for something else, take a dry erase marker and scribble on the sharpie words then wipe with a dry paper towel and you viola, it is clean to re-label as something else.
  
  
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 Another quick tip: Go to your local craft store, there you can find sheets of metal typically used for making magnetic calendars, games, or displays. Measure and cut a strip to the size you like that fits on the front of your cabinet doors in your kitchen (also this is an excellent way to sharpen your scissors, if you don't want to try it or it is too hard to cut with your scissors, sharpen them by taking tin foil and folding it several times and cut into small strips, this not only will sharpen them but you can take the foil strips and put them in your garden, it will reflect the sun on your plants and also prevent slugs from getting to your crop). If you can't cut it with kitchen scissors, then use a ruler and score with a blade over and over until you are able to bend and break it apart. Then cover with your favorite paper that matches your kitchen. You now have another magnetic and cute surface in your kitchen (and/or bathroom) to hang recipes when you are cooking and they won't get gunky from your ingredients, or seeds you need to remember to plant, or notes to your family, etc.

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• If you like to go to antique stores you may find those old wood coke bottle carriers, you may think they are cute but don't know what you would do with them, well....they are excellent for organizing spices (Penzy's is my favortie spice store, and you can also get the perfect spice jars at Cost Plus, or be a good earth steward and reuse old vitamin bottles or the like - well washed and dried - for your spices). You can also hang it up in your bathroom to organize your make up, floss, small perfume bottles, etc.
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Garden Planters

Got extra baskets lying around but don't know what to do with them? Turn them into flower pots. The ones with the flat backs work especially well for hanging up agains the wall outside, you can even find really cute ones at the Dollar Tree. Reuse an old plastic grocery bag to line the inside of the basket (this will retain the water and soil for the plants). Fill with soil and plant your favorite flowers, I have used Geraniums, Fusia, and many other types of trailing plants. As you can see here, I also used an old tea kettle as a flower pot too.

Bathroom ideas

Running out of detangler or leave-in conditioner? My daughter has curly thick hair and tangles are unavoidable, which means we heavily rely on spray detangler. I have found that if you simply put the remainder of your conditioner (about 2-4 tablespoons) into your empty spray bottle, and add water, you are good to go. If you don't have a spray bottle, start with the kids detangler from Dollar Tree. You get a pretty good detangler for just a $buck and then you have a reuseable bottle thereafter, a great deal!

Want to save more on bathroom items? Reuse one of your old foam soap dispensers and don't go out and buy the special foam soap that costs ridiculous amounts and are mostly water anyway, just take 2-4 tablespoons of regular hand soap, add water and shake in your dispenser.

I now have 2 growing girls, that I know some day are going to overtake my bathroom and I don't like a lot of stuff on the counter, so I had my handy hubby install a shelf right next to the mirror/sink in my bathroom so I can put my curling iron/straightener, and blow dryer on it. This way I don't have to wait for them to cool down before returning them and filling up a drawer, and they are still out of the way. The other great thing is I had him cut a hole large enough to directly insert my blow dryer into it to take up even less space.

Organizing & Purging the House

Are things just piling up around the house? When was the last time you did a true cleanse? When I was a kid we moved around 25 times before I left home for college, this gave me the tools to know how to purge, and also how to rearrange furniture. I have now lived in my home that my husband and I have owned for 6 1/2 years, the longest I have lived anywhere. Even though we don't have any plans on moving, I still feel the need to go through my belongings every 6 months to make sure we aren't keeping anything we don't need or have to move - just in case. I also rearrange my furniture every 3 months because I feel the need for change. I understand those that don't like change and don't feel the need to move things around, and appreciate that, but it certainly is a great way to put some excitement in the everyday routine, it allows you to get a new perspective in your house, and the perfect start to the spring clean.

• Step 1:  Turn off the TV and turn up the music, get movtivated!
• Step 2: Pick a room. Have a goal of just getting that room done in one day - it is possible. If you get it done and feel motivated, move on to the next room.
• 3: Pick a corner of the room or maybe a closet, start pulling stuff out (I have to make a mess to get organized). Get a garbage can, a garbage bag and start making piles. Whatever you can't recycle, reuse, give away, or keep goes in the garbage can. Make a pile for recycling - you know old receipts, boxes, papers, plastic, etc. Anything that can be donated to a local school, church, or donation center goes in the garbage bag (when it is full immediately put it in the back of your car and drop off the next time you go anywhere - make it a point so it doesn't stay in your house or your car - and it feels good when you drop it off, and it is tax deductible - get a receipt!). The rest of the piles are things you have still use for and have decided to keep. Organize according to where you want them to go, kitchen items go in a pile, bathroom items go in a pile (if you are like me lotion, combs, hair bands, etc always end up all over the house - I save $ every 3 months by collecting all the hair ties around the house and putting them back in the bathroom instead of buying a new packet thinking they have all been lost), etc.
• 4: Once you have pulled out and separated everything, pull out the vacuum and get the carpet, corners, floors, inside drawers. Wipe down any hard surfaces with a damp cloth to remove dust or particles.
• 5: Place back everything in its spot, wipe down anything that is dirty or dusty before placing it back (perfume bottles some times get dusty, lotion bottles, etc, but if you have not used them in a long time, consider getting rid of them so it isn't taking up space - PURGE!)
• 6: Take out trash & recycling
• 7: Sit back, drink some tea (or whatever you like), and bask in the beauty of the cleanse. Good job!