Kevin Trudeau – The Weight Loss Cure

I was reading some more in Kevin Trudeau’s book, The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. He is a very interesting fellow. I highly recommend grabbing a copy. I just checked and you can get them for under $10 on Amazon.

The book really makes sense. One of the main points that he stresses throughout is that the food industry and diet industry really have no interest in helping you lose weight. It is definitely in their best interest to keep you fat. Think about it and you have to know it’s true.  

He gives some very interesting info about why Dr. Simeons’ hCG diet was kept quiet for so many years – it all makes sense when you read it – and gives dozens of testimonials from people having lost on hCG. Since the book was written in 2007, most of the people interviewed were still using the injections, instead of taking the homeopathic version (10 drops under the tongue 3 times a day). But, most tests that have been done indicate the the homeopathic version may be even more effective than the shots because you are getting hCG three times a day instead of just once.

Here’s just one testimonial that I liked:

“The Fat Chance special [must have been some television program] missed the whole point  that hCG therapy cured obesity 40 years ago. Dr. A.T.W. Simeons of Rome found the permanent cure for obesity in the early 1960’s and the American diet industry suppressed it for 40 years. Why? The American diet industry has grown in the last 40 years from $2 billion/year to over $150 billion/year [and this book was published in 2007]. That industry would collapse if the facts were widely known that obesity is a permanently curable symptom of a hypothalamus dysfunction. What is unconscionable is the almost infinite amount of pain and distress and degradation that have been endured by almost three generations of fat Americans, let alone those fat people in the rest of the world, because of the greed of the diet industry. I have used the Simeons’ weight reduction program. I personally guarantee that it works.” N.S., LaGrande, Oregon

Day 309 “Down 95 pounds”

Actually plateaued for 5 days. That’s the longest that I have ever gone, but I was down another pound this morning and that takes me to a total of 95 pounds lost. 7 pounds in this 4th course of hCG. Yea! I know I could have done an “apple” day, but I knew I was still losing and there was something that wasn’t letting me drop the weight. Could have been a little constipation. If you don’t know about “apple” days, check the list of categories to the right and you will find info.

Also, maybe I didn’t drink enough water last week. I normally drink around 88 ounces in a day, but I read something this morning that said if your urine wasn’t completely clear then you are not drinking enough water. I intent to step it up a notch next week and of course, I recommend Kangen Water (you can ready about the benefits of Kangen Water in the Kangen Water category or go to the www.hcg4less.com website. If you are not on hCG, then the rule of thumb for water is 1/2 ounce for every pound you weigh (200 pounds? 100 ounces.).

Day 306 “30 more days on HCG”

No, that's not me yet, but I am getting there.

Just checking in. Total lost since January 1, 2011 is 94 pounds (only about 5 pounds away from 100… yea!). I started at 275. Down 6 since the beginning of my 4th course about 10 days ago. I’ve plateaued at 181 for three days now. I know the weight is not coming off as fast now, but I don’t think there is a diet out there that will do any better. I know that HCG is working constantly and in the past, after a 3-day plateau, I’ve dropped a couple of pounds in one day. So, looking forward to tomorrow.

Have you ever heard of home-made marshmallows? I hadn’t until the other night. I really hate marshmallows, except on s’mores, but for some reason when my friend started talking about making home-made marshmallows, I started salivating. LOL (Don’t go crazy now. Those ones in the bag are really awful and you know it. You might as well eat sugar out of the bowl.) Anyway, my friend has promised to make some for me right after Christmas. I will be off HCG on December 3rd and will begin my 4th course stabilization 3-weeks, and then be completely through with my 4th course on December 24th. Interesting how that worked out. I am looking forward to turkey dinner (I will be missing it on Thanksgiving this year, but still plan to enjoy all the family aspects – that’s what it is supposed to be about anyway, right?).

Take care HCG Lovers

Getting ready to hibernate?

Interesting tips that bring some things in focus that we probably gloss over every year. Fall is my favorite time of the year even though I know what is coming (looks like we made it through last night. Kansas City was supposed to get an inch of snow, but we didn’t).

For many Native peoples, fall is the time of change and preparation for the season of winter, the time of death and dying. This is not morbid, for most do not fear death the way most other cultures do. They have aligned with death as an ally. They understand that they have to come to terms with their own death in order to live life to the fullest. So, the fall season is the time to look at what they call little deaths. These are actually changes that they want or need to make in their lives. It is a time of letting go of habits or things that no longer serve them (could even be destructive relationships). Winter allows for a time of mourning the loss of these things, so that rebirth can come in the spring. So, with these thoughts, what do you need to get rid of in your life so that you can achieve your weight-loss goals?

Even though I am not completely Primal (from Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint), I appreciate many parts of his program and understand where his theories come from. (For the past almost-year when I am not on HCG I have been cooking with Atkins and South Beach Diet tips). Here’s Mark Sisson:

Yes, yes, I know. I’m getting in somewhat under the wire here. For those of you in the Northeastern U.S. who got an early helping of winter this weekend, you have my sympathies. As a native New Englander, I love fall but know it goes all too fast…. As beautiful as autumn is, I think it presents some Primal challenges – for us moderns as it undoubtedly did for our ancestors. It’s darker. It’s colder. Food is generally more expensive – particularly the sensitive summer produce. We might get different cravings or be more likely to put on weight in these months. We may even feel our own inclinations toward semi-hibernation. While some of us keep our routines the same throughout the year, I know others prefer to make seasonal changes. Our motivations vary. We want to save money or work with what’s more readily available. We know ourselves and understand that we need to switch out the summer workout to stay in shape during the more inclement months. We’re dealing with busier schedules, more stress, or less productive sleep. Or maybe we’re just interested in making some changes more in line with approximated ancestral conditions. Whatever your intention, I’ve got some Primal hacks for making the most of the fall season.

1. Take advantage of the fall hunting seasons to build some winter stores (with the proper licenses and training, of course).

2. Follow Grandma’s example and learn to can to cheaply preserve the last of this this year’s harvest.

3. Make some canned treats (e.g. jams and apple butter) to enjoy and some to give away for the coming holidays.

4. Start a windowsill indoor herb garden.

5. Try out one of those countertop lettuce growers. (Reviews, anyone?) Or, if you’re particularly ambitious, take on a larger hydroponic project.

6. Be ready to snatch up post-Thanksgiving poultry deals, or scout out some good ones now before too many people start their turkey-shopping. You can usually get good bulk deals from area farms.

7. Along those same lines, fill your freezer with the last meat shares for the year.

8. Invest in a dehydrator and go to town with all manner of veggies and fruit. Make a store of apple chips for the kids.

9. Freeze some produce items you don’t want to can or dehydrate. If you can blanch and shock, you’ll have some good greens handy for hearty winter soups later.

10. While we’re on the subject of soups, don’t waste those poultry carcasses and roast remnants. Make and freeze some homemade stocks for soups, stews, and sauces. (Trust me, you’ll never buy packaged again.)

11. Interested in recalibrating your diet to seasonality? Scale back your fruit consumption. Think more along the lines of salad component than whole pieces.

12. There’s never a better time to begin an organ meat cooking repertoire. (Hint: the PB cookbooks and MDA recipe archive offer enticing recipes to get you started.)

13. Learn to love (and cook) low(er) carb root vegetables. Think mashed, scalloped, roasted, baked, or added to stews and gratins.

14. Regular neighborhood run not doing it for you anymore? Make the added effort to pick out new and inspiring places for outdoor workouts and family fun.

15. Warm up inside before heading out. The cool air will then feel especially refreshing and exhilarating.

16. Invest in clothes that will make you want to stay outside.

17. Find an indoor class or gym, or start an at-home routine for the cold and wet days when you can’t drag yourself outside.

18. Keep your thermostat on the lower side. If you’re cold, it’s a sign you need to get up and move (or break out the Snuggie).

19. Look at your social/volunteer/extended family/other obligations calendar and slash it by 20%. Go on – you know you want to.

20. Reduce dry skin by scaling back on showers and forgoing all but the most indulgent baths. Use natural oils sparingly and try forgoing chemically based lotions.

21. Although hot showers, baths, and saunas have special appeal this time of year, don’t forget the immunity-boosting effects of cold water. While a cold shower or bath immersion can do in a pinch, I find them pretty miserable. A polar dip in the ocean or the backyard pool are the way to go.

22. Feeling a cold coming on or feeling run down? In addition to some homemade broth and extra sleep, pull an IF or super low carb day.

23. Another tip if you’re fighting something off: score a last-minute massage to let go of stress and help balance out the hormonal lineup.

24. Embrace the time change this weekend by starting a morning workout or otherwise energizing routine (e.g. gentle yoga or brisk walk with the dog). If your schedule allows you to enjoy the first morning light, all the better.

25. Shift weekend chores and errands to free up precious midday hours for unbridled sun and fun outside.

26. Beg, borrow, or steal away if you can in order to get outside at midday during the week. Don’t underestimate the power of even a few minutes of sun and natural light.

27. Remember that circadian rhythms are impacted by all manner of cues – including food intake. Do an earlier dinner if you can, or eat a bigger lunch and scale down dinner during the darker months.

28. Resist the tendency to stay up late by shutting down the T.V. and other technology at least an hour before bedtime. If you have to work or just can’t forgo a must-see program, invest in some nifty yellow glasses to neutralize the sleep-zapping blue light.

29. Settle into more natural seasonal and sleep rhythms by dimming the lamps or breaking out the candles a little earlier in the evening.

30. It’s never too early to begin thinking about a Primal Thanksgiving strategy! More on that later….

Do you have your own personal fall challenges? What practices help keep you healthy and happily Primal this season? Share your thoughts and feedback with everyone. Hope you’re all having a great week!

Heart Attack Risks

This question was posted on Dr. Agatsto’s South Beach Diet website. He is the doctor and I am certainly not, but I think that how closely your diet habits resemble the relatives that have heart problems plays a HUGE part. He says in the beginning that he knows of individuals with bad family histories and have no problems and then there are those with good family histories and then the person has a heart attack at 40. I believe what you eat, drink, and how much stress you allow in your life is going to play a huge part… maybe more than hereditiy. Just my two cents, which is worth about $.02. LOL

Q: My grandfather, one aunt, and two uncles on my mother’s side all died of heart attacks. Am I at higher risk of having a heart attack because of my family history? — Iliana, North Carolina

A: Yes. Family history is an often underestimated and underreported risk factor for heart disease and heart attack, so I’m glad you asked this question. That said, I have numerous patients with bad family health histories who still have good hearts, and I have patients with good family histories who come to me with badly diseased hearts. The fact that they made an appointment to find out where they stood is a good thing. The more distant a relative is and the older that person is when he or she had a heart attack, the less concerned you need to be. The more closely related you are to family members who have had heart attacks and the younger they were when the event occurred, the greater your risk is. First-degree relatives — parents and siblings — who die of a heart attack at a young age are of greater concern than grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Furthermore, if one of your siblings has heart disease or has had a heart attack, that puts you at an even higher risk than if one of your parents has heart-related issues, because the sibling, besides having similar genes, has usually grown up in an environment similar to yours. Experts suggest that if you have a brother or sister with cardiovascular disease, your own risk is increased by as much as 100 percent. Remember that the younger a close relative was when the heart attack occurred, the greater the concern is. I treated a woman recently with very high cholesterol, and her sister had a heart attack at age 38, while another of my patients has a father who had a heart attack at 52. I take this information very seriously. If a family history indicates potential problems and you’re only in your twenties, I would do a blood test for basic lipids (blood fats) and perhaps advanced blood tests to check the size of your cholesterol particles and levels of C-reactive protein. If you’re older, I would also do imaging of your carotid arteries (the arteries that run just under the skin on each side of your neck and supply blood to your brain). If the carotid arteries show premature thickening of their lining (called the intimal-medial thickness), I would do a noninvasive CT [computed tomography] scan of your coronary arteries to get a calcium score, a measure of the total amount of plaque in your coronary arteries. In general, I do imaging for at-risk men beginning in their forties and at-risk women in their fifties, but will do so earlier in circumstances of particularly high-risk families. As I noted above, having a family history of heart disease is not a guarantee of a heart attack. And even if you’re diagnosed with heart disease, improving your diet, getting regular exercise, and taking medications as necessary can go a long way toward reducing plaque buildup and improving your risk profile. The earlier that high-risk individuals are evaluated, the easier it is to prevent a heart attack. Learn more in the Everyday Health Heart Health Center.

I hate shoes too, Mark, but it’s getting cold!

This comes from Mark Sisson of the Primal Blueprint!

For this week’s PB Insider, I’m going to challenge you to dare to flout one of the most fundamental social protocols currently in use: the wearing of shoes. No matter your plans, your circumstance, or your foot odor problem, I am challenging you to remove your shoes for the entire duration of the day. If you were already planning on just staying home, that doesn’t count. Assume the challenge on a normal day, so that you’re forced into a potentially uncomfortable position.

Going to the grocery store? Leave the shoes at home and feel the cool, air-conditioned tiles beneath your feet. A place like Whole Foods might be more amenable to your particular condition.

Walking the dog around the block? Get those feet dirty, but be sure you watch where you walk. Not everyone cleans up after Fido.

Is today a workout day? You may have to surreptitiously mosey your bare feet into the gym, but once you’re in, you should be okay – as long as you don’t call undue attention to your shoeless feet by doing handstands right in front of the trainer desk. Stick to deadlifts and squats – exercises where your feet remain firmly planted on the floor – and no one will be the wiser. Your joints will thank you.

I don’t like shoes. I think they’re unnecessary in many cases, and, as a former endurance athlete, I’m convinced that running shoes have been responsible for a huge number of running injuries. At the same time, I don’t think the average person who’s been wearing shoes all their lives, through all their workouts, should drop the shoes and leap into training and living barefoot right away. Especially when it comes to intense exercise, going from one extreme (shod) to another (unshod) can be dangerous. Barefoot exercise must be transitioned to gradually, and the feet must be strengthened as you go.

The social aspect, however, is an entirely different story. In my opinion, the best way to get over a social hang-up is to abolish it altogether. Just launch full bore into the “offensive” behavior. Going barefoot definitely qualifies as a socially malodorous act, but it’s essentially a victimless crime (unless, of course, you have a particularly potent foot odor problem). That’s why I’m challenging you to get over your hang-ups and just lose the shoes for a day. Don’t go on any full-day hikes or run barefoot sprints just yet, but it’s important to get over that mental hurdle.

Prepare yourself to be the subject of weird looks, raised eyebrows, and possibly even legal censure. If you get thrown out of a place, go willingly. You don’t want to make a scene and ruin it for the rest of us barefooters! Remember, when you sally forth boldly and shoe-free, you represent an entire demographic. Be respectful and try to refrain from climbing all over everything (I admit that going barefoot will probably make you want to climb and jump around), but maintain your sense of pride.

After all, you should be proud. You’re giving your feet what they truly deserve. 

P.S. Ok. Ok. For those that wouldn’t dare go sans shoes there are barefoot alternatives.

Day 299 “1/3 pound every day”

Getting close to two mile-markers. I am a half pound away from losing a total of 90 pounds and tomorrow is my 300th day on this protocol. That means… 90 divided by 300 = .3 … or 1/3 of a pound each day. Not too shabby. I know it was a pound or two a day in the beginning, but considering I only want to lose about 30 more pounds, I am a happy camper. I gained about 5 pounds over my two days of bingeing when I began my 4th course of HCG last Saturday and I have lost that plus 2.5 more pounds. Down a total of 89.5 and weighing in at 184.5.

An interesting thing happened yesterday. I had a terrible day where everything seemed to go wrong. I went to a Keller Williams class called BOLD and right off the bat the facilitator pushed my buttons because he wouldn’t give me a straight answer to a question I had. Then as the day progressed, I couldn’t get clients and loan officers to return my calls and the title company and I (I’m a realtor by the way) realized that a particular transaction was not going to close today as planned. Aaaauuuuggggg. Not that this deal is a huge one (only $50K), but TWO HUGE (over $500K) deals ride on it. It’s a get this one done and you get the other two type of thing. I was panicking.

Now it used to be that when I went into crisis the first thing I thought about doing was eating… probably gorging. Hummm. My thoughts did go that way and then amazingly enough my conscious mind actually discounted it and I said to myself, “You know that is not going to make you feel any better. In fact you will probably get sick. Let’s think of some other way to deal with this.” This would never have occurred to me in the past, but I didn’t obsess on it. Amazing!

My next plan was to escape (based on the old behavior patterns). I thought about running away to the forest. I used to do that when I lived in Colorado and California, but no forest around here. Getting all that out of the way, I went home and checked email at 4:30. A contract that I was waiting for was not there… two houses that I am viewing today that were supposed to be FSBOs (For Sale By Owner and a pretty sure bet that I can turn them around and list them) were really Transaction Broker deals and already listed. Bummer. A client that wanted to put her house up for sale herself for 30 days and if it didn’t sell was going to turn it over to me called. It hadn’t sold, but now wasn’t a sure deal. She was pitting me against another realtor that had come by and schmoozed her. She doesn’t know what price to put on her house; just knows that she had it too high to begin with. I threw out the idea of viewing her competition’s houses. She liked that. I am taking her to look at 7 houses Saturday that are her competition. I think that will seal the deal as me as her realtor and also help her decide that the market analysis that I did for her was accurate. We will see on that one. At 7:30 pm I finally got a call from the buyer of the first deal and somehow the loan officer had gotten messed up, but it’s still alive and is probably going to close on Monday. The realtor with the contract that I was expecting when I got home also called to say he would send it over today. I relaxed a bit, turned off the computer, and went in to eat my shrimp and tomatoes and watch a recorded version of Dancing With the Stars from last Monday.

Stick with it all you Big Losers

Day 295 ” HCG is truly amazing”

I did my binging yesterday as is prescibed on the 1st and 2nd day of the HCG protocol by Dr. Simeons (you need to restore any fat reserves or structural fat – the good fat – before starting on the 500-calorie-a-day phase of the HCG Diet), but I was dreadding getting on the scales this morning. Even now when I know how HCG works, it crushes me to see that I have gained even a pound. Well, I was not disappointed this morning. Even with my binging, I lost a pound and a half. LOL I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!!

Here is the graph from my 7 weeks of regular or open eating that I completed yesterday. I know it’s tiny, but you can see that I started this phase weighing 190 and jumped up to 192 for a few days when I first started the walking regime, but then came back down and finished at 187. I had hoped the additional exercise would help me lose more, but… I’m a happy camper for where I am. 

Another day… another pound… Take care you Big Losers

Day 294 “Back in the saddle again…”

Finally, I am starting my 4th course of HCG. Here’s the stats before going further. I’m the incredible shrinking woman…

31 pounds off – 1st course of HCG
4.5 pounds – 1st stabilization
5 pounds – open eating before next course (3 weeks)
18 pounds – 2nd course of HCG
0 pounds – 2nd stabilization
6.5 pounds – open eating before the 3rd course (5 weeks)
17 pounds – 3rd course of HCG
2 pounds – 3^rd stabilization
3.5 pounds – open eating (7 weeks)
88 total off since January 1, 2011

Can’t say that I haven’t enjoyed eating a sweet thing now and then and can’t say that eating pizza and salads (with everything but the kitchen sink) aren’t fabulous, but so many times during my last 7 weeks of regular eating (required after the 3rd course of HCG according to Dr. Simeons’ HCG protocol) I wished I could just go on and get this last course moving. I am so anxious to reach my goal of losing 120 pounds in a year. The original plan called for losing 120-140 pounds and I may go on a 5th course at some time, but for now after seeing the progress I’ve made I will be very happy weighing 155 pounds (I’m 5’5″ tall and have already gone from a size 20 to a size 12 – look out size 10, I’m on my way down.).

For those of you who just tuned in, I started taking HCG on January 1, 2011. I weighed in at 275 pounds. You can see the results above. After every 40-day course the protocol requires that you do a 3-week stabilization, which many of you have heard me say before, is the most important phase of each course, and then a time of just coasting. Hoping to ensure I really reach my goal by December 24th, I decided to add exercise to my regime (I wanted to lose an additional 10 pounds during my regular eating phase – 7 weeks – and I had never been on any exercise program during my first 3 courses). You regular bloggers know that I gained 2-3 pounds instead of losing when I first began exercising and then evened out (yeah, I know it is good for me). What is fun (and has been a pattern it seems on every phase) is that I’ve lost 3 pounds in the last week, taking my total loss for the last 7 weeks to 3.5 pounds total. Somehow my body knows just before I am about to start another phase and rewards me with a substantial loss after making me suffer through a plateau. LOL

Anyway, just a few minutes ago, I took my first dose of HCG for my 4th course and I am raring to go. 40 days from now will be December 3rd and I will begin stabilization and then… drumroll… on December 24th I will have completed a year of being on the HCG protocol. The picture to the left is basically what I look like now. The day it was taken I had lost 83 pounds and today I have lost 88. My broker, Beth Franklin, at Keller Williams Southland Partners can’t wait to take my picture at the annual Holiday party this year. She took the original picture of me kissing Santa that helped to get this whole thing started (above right).

For now, I get two days of bingeing. Going to a friend’s Halloween party this evening and I am sure there will be ghoulish goodies that will help my cause.

How are you spicing up your life?

I hope to be spicing up my life with a lot more than chili peppers in the near future, but for now I found this interesting. I love chile peppers, but didn’t really know much about them. Spicy food is supposed to speed up your metabolism. This this true or just an old “dieter’s hopefulness?” What’s your opinion? This comes from the South Beach Daily Dish.

Spice Up Your Meals With Chile Peppers

As the saying goes, “some like it hot” and one of the easiest ways to turn up the heat in a variety of dishes is to add chile peppers. There are a number of chile pepper varieties, which can range in taste from mild to excruciatingly hot. Here’s a snapshot of the most popular chiles and some tips on how to properly handle them:

• Anaheimpeppers are the most commonly used in the United States, with a mild to moderately hot taste. These long, slender, lobed peppers are often used in the Mexican dish called chiles rellenos. 
• Anchopeppers are the dried version of poblano peppers (see below). They are usually heart-shaped and are flat and wrinkled. Anchos range in color from a very dark red to almost black. They’re typically ground for use in chili, sauces, and rubs. 
• Chipotlepeppers are smoked, dried jalapeños with a medium hot, deep smoky flavor. They are available dried, whole, powdered, pickled, or canned in “adobo sauce.” They’re great in a homemade BBQ sauce or for flavoring yogurt dip. 
• Jalapeñosare small green or red peppers, about 2 to 3 inches long. They are most commonly used in Southwestern and Mexican cuisines and are delicious pickled, grilled, or added to baked dishes. They’re also great in guacamole and salsas. Jalapeños vary in degree of heat, sometimes tasting much like a green bell pepper and other times being very hot (try a small taste before adding to a dish). 
• Poblano peppersrange in flavor from mild to very hot and in size from 3 to 6 inches long and about 2 to 3 inches wide. They’re typically roasted and peeled before using in casseroles, soups, and sauces, or they can be stuffed and baked. An immature poblano is dark purplish green in color but eventually turns a red so dark the pepper looks nearly black. 
• Serranopeppers are skinny, bright green (sometimes red) peppers that look similar to jalapeños but are considerably hotter. They can be used in a variety of dishes, including guacamole, salsas, or spicy sauces. 
• Thai peppers are very hot and typically measure less than an inch long. They’re primarily used in Asian cuisine.

When shopping for fresh chile peppers, choose those with firm, smooth skin. Avoid wrinkled peppers with blemishes. Fresh peppers should be used soon after purchasing. Most of the spiciness in a hot pepper comes from the white membrane and seeds found inside. You can lessen the spiciness by cutting the pepper in half and scraping out the seeds and membrane using the tip of a paring knife. Be sure to taste first before adding chile peppers to a dish; a little hot pepper goes a long way and cooking can intensify the heat.

Handling Chiles
Anyone who’s ever cooked with chile peppers knows that it’s a good idea to avoid touching your face or eyes during or after handling them. The juice from the pepper can cause a painful burning sensation and in some cases, an allergic reaction. Remember to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after working with chiles. Some people choose to wear rubber gloves, but this is only necessary if you’re especially sensitive to chiles.