Having successfully completed one round of HCG Detox over the summer, I made note of all the tips that made the program very easy for me to follow. Now that I am starting round 2, I can use these again for myself as well as discover new tips to ensure a strong start and maintenance phase during my program. So, here are my tops 10 tips that can help you along your program:
- Preparation of meals leads to success and helps you avoid temptations! I prepare ALL my meals ahead of time, which means I have more time to do the things I want to do. For instance, I purchase the 10-lbs. bag of frozen skinless/boneless organic chicken breasts, pull enough for 4 days, defrost in the fridge and refill my stash once I get to about 1 day’s worth of thawed chicken. I’m never without at least two meals ready to cook so I’m not tempted to grab something that’s off limits. Once the chicken is thawed, I add Mrs. Dash, toss the chicken on the grill and in 10 minutes, I have lunch or dinner. Sometimes I cook dinner while I’m grilling lunch so I can heat & eat later. I even pre-measure and slice strawberries to leave in the fridge for the morning. Easy!
- Never be without the comforts of home—keep items in your purse or desk. I carry my Melba toast packs, Truvia sweeteners, an apple, 2 bottles of water and 1 thermos of Green Tea and tea bags in my purse, car or at my salon station. Even when I pass a Starbucks with Cranberry Bliss Bars and Gingerbread Lattes, I can still have my Venti Iced Green Tea with Truvia and not feel like I am missing out. Every night I take 3 minutes to replenish my supply so that I’m not scrambling to find the items in the morning.
- Forgot to take your Life Choice Detox supplements? Grab a pill box. You can easily fit the detox capsules in the compartments and leave at your nightstand or put it in your lunch box. Once a week, I refill the box so I never miss taking my supplements. Still with me? Great, it’s going to get even easier…
- A pitcher is my new best friend. I’m not talking about baseball, I’m talking about a water pitcher! This is the easiest trick I learned on my first round. I don’t have a big sweet tooth but I do love my Cherry Coke. So to avoid reaching for a soda, I take 5 organic Green Tea bags, steep them in cold water in a water pitcher (make sure it has a lid) and leave it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I compost the bags, fill my thermos and refill the pitcher later in the week. The tea lasts me about 3 days and I can add Truvia if I am craving a sweeter drink. Add Rosehips Tea for a more fragrant drink. Simple!
- Have something to motivate you daily. I lost about 20 lbs. in round 1, and my goal that kept me going was to fit into a dress I bought a year ago. Twenty pounds ago I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing but I bought it with the intention of wearing it for my graduation in October. I hung the dress on my bedroom door so to remind me to stick to the plan everyday. By graduation time, I had to have the dress taken in on the sides! Hang your motivation on your door whether it is a dress, picture of a vacation spot, photos of your grandchildren, health related goal—whatever it is, place it where you can see it everyday to remind yourself of what you are working to achieve. This round, my motivation is the money I am saving from eating out. My goal is to save $400 a month and put that towards a trip to Paris.
- Keep track of your weight on a calendar. There are fancy computer programs and planner tools to help track weight but for me, I misplace them or fail to get the program uploaded. Easiest thing I have found was to write my daily weight on my calendar, which is right next to my Motivation area on my door! I can see week-by-week my progress and can’t lose it or forget to write it down.
- Let your foodie friends know what HCG is! The more they know, the more they can be supportive of you. Nothing was harder for me than to turn down the endless stream of dinner parties, wine tastings and late night snack runs. Any of those activities would have ruined my progress. But when my friends understood the HCG program and invited me to join their events, we were prepared! I had my own food and they were more than willing to accommodate my needs when they SAW the weight loss for themselves and gave me the emotional support I needed. There is no shame in losing the weight—it’s all about you, so feel free to share with the people who love you and support you. You never know if you’ll inspire one of your loved ones to do a round for him or herself.
- Ensure early success in your program by donating your restricted foods. I had the usual suspects lurking in my kitchen—my favorite Tillamook cheddar was staring me back in the face after my fat loading days so I gave it to a friend along with my new french bread baguette. As soon as I started the official HCG program, my entire kitchen was free of the no-no’s and filled with organic foods from the HCG list. See no evil, eat no evil! That was my motto and it sure worked for me.
- Throw a party for the start and end of your program so you don’t feel like it’s a punishment. My problem with food was partly emotional eating—eat when bored, frustrated, happy, sad, etc. I celebrated the “beginning of the end” of that phase in my life with two fat loading days to socialize with friends and “party” with all my good fats! Sounds funny but it really helped me come to terms with why I eat how and when I do. Fat loading really was the most fun out of the program, so celebrate your impending accomplishments. If you read my previous blog post, you’ll see a little bit about how eating for me is about FUELING my body, not about stuffing emotions down so I wouldn’t have to deal with them. Can this get any better?
- And last but not least, reward yourself with little tokens of self-appreciation along the way. After my second week on the program, I lost a whopping 9 lbs. I was so overjoyed, I cried a little bit on the bus back home. I didn’t know how to prepare myself for the emotional purging I was about to experience. The next day, I went to Paperwhirl down the street from Serenity Med Spa and bought myself a gold and citrine ring that I had eyeballed for about a month! It was a very small expense, but it was my way of saying “great job” for sticking to the plan so diligently.This time, I started with a gold and labradorite ring, but after each little goal I reach, I put away some money for me to spend when I go to Paris. For you, a little token might be extra time with your grandkids, a day trip to your favorite vacation spot, maybe something like treating yourself to a great new haircut or massage. Whatever you decide, do it for you!
You are making a change in your life by putting your health first and foremost—you should get that proverbial pat on your back for your dedication! With support from Dr. Lisa and Dr. David Kang, the Serenity Med Spa staff and your peers, you’ll reach your weight goals and embark on a happier, healthier lifestyle. I’m living proof that it can happen, and am very excited to hear about your personal success on the HCG program.