The Green Valley Spa Experience – The Afterparty: Back to the Land of General Chaos, hCG To Go, and Moms Who Have Driven Their Metabolisms Into the Ground
I hate Comcast. It’s my cable company. They keep messing up my bills. This – and other such nonsense – pervades my thoughts now back in DC. I am away from Green Valley Spa. So away. I think am going to read over my posts to try to remember, and focus on what matters.
Welcome Post Intro Post 1 Post 2 Post 3 Post 4 Post 5 Post 6 Last Day The Afterparty
Of course, the two little consumers of mac and cheese who live in my house DO matter, and, it was fun coming back to see them. So, what has changed for me since Green Valley Spa this time around?
#1. It may sound weird, but, I have more confidence. Who knew I had abilities other than raising my two kids and husband and padding my resume with an ever-coming-ever-going litany of to dos? The meditation, mind mapping, heart math, and tarot card readings are haunting me – in a good way. Not like a weird “Ghost Whisperer” way. Okay, maybe a better way to say this is that they are sticking with me. It is hard to explain. But, if you go there, you’ll get it.
#2 I have a magic bullet for weight loss. It is the HCG program. It is not the easiest thing in the world. But, it works and – seriously – is kind of like magic. And, if that magic positively impacts my butt – all the better. I always like to avoid too much discussion of personal appearance because I find it incredibly superficial. Unless, of course, there is a massive sale going on at SEPHORA.
I always wanted to have a “magic bullet” I call upon in my 50s when my hormones wage a blitzkrieg. So, I am now officially a fan. Prior to the “hormone blitzkrieg” is the group/life-phase of which I am a member: “Busy Moms Who Have Driven Their Metabolisms Into the Ground.” Here is a conversation I had with one of our sisters fighting the good fight in the “metabolism battle”:
***
Setting: My friend’s kitchen.
Friend: You look great!
Me: Thanks hon. I went out to this spa and got on what I thought was a kind of crazy program, but, it works so I officially can’t call it crazy anymore.
Friend: What is the program?
Me: It is this hormone-based program – you know hCG? It’s a hormone found in your body when you’re…[friend puts up hand, goes to fridge, and pulls out a brown glass bottle with a dropper in the top like mine!]
Friend: I am on the SAME thing!
Me: Where did you GET that? I thought I was the only one on this super obscure program.
Friend: There is a doctor here who has me and all my friends on this program. I’ve lost 15 pounds.
***
So – hCG is officially not as “secret” a weapon as I originally thought. In a way, it made me feel good to know that a doctor in the lawyer-infested seas of Washington, DC area is prescribing this.
PHASES OF THE hCG PPROGRAM. Click here if you want to do hCG to go:
- Days 1 and 2: You eat everything not nailed down. I felt incredibly ikky during this time, but, my husband (were he to do this) would be thrilled and take up temporary residence at Dunkin Donuts.
- Days 3 to 23 (or through day 40) You are on a low calorie diet (2 apples, 2 meals of meat and veggies per day). The way you are not clawing at the walls with hunger is the hCG (many inject, I went for drops). This releases “abnormal fat” into your blood and it is processed out of your body with a Back Hoe. Okay, not really. It is just processed like normal things would be processed out of your body. Check here _____ if you are still reading this.
- Days 24 to 26 (or through day 43): You stop taking the drops/injections and stay on the low calorie diet until all the HCG is out of your system (unless you are doing 40 days).
- Three Week Maintenance Period: For three weeks you can eat what you want except for starches (flour, potatoes and other root veggies, rice, etc.) and sugars. The Green Valley Spa hCG “powers that be” suggest building up from 800 calories to 1200 to 1500 each week. ”When you’re eating whole, unprocessed foods those calories go along way,” they say.
See list of TIPS below if you want to know more. I am going to enter the “maintenance” period soon and will update this post with how it goes.
TIPS for the HCG program.
The folks out at Green Valley Spa who have been on the program tell me:
- Drink tons of water. All Yogi teas are okay too. They recommend the “Detox” and “Get Regular” ones especially.
- Dealing with your body adjusting. You can take Advil etc. if you get a headache. This happened on days 4 and 5 for me, but, then I didn’t have it any more.
- No artifical sweetners. I actually cheated and had a diet coke one day and think it may have increased my cravings for things. Dang (one of the all-time greatest words).
- Be prepared to face the consequences if you cheat. Related to the above, if you cheat it will cost you up to 4 days on the diet. For instance, I got close to my goal and totally cheated. In fairness, it was with the trail mix recipe I mentioned in an earlier post. Also, our Memorial Day BBQ was probably not a good idea in retrospect. Memorial Day BBQs and the hCG program do not mix.
- Keep exercise moderate. For many who hate working out, this particular piece of information may make your year. This was hard for me since I am a big worker outer. But, this can lead to water retention. So, an hour a day is the max they suggest. I have lowered the intensity of what I do. For instance, I normally do interval runs (6.0 mph 2 mins, 7.0 sprint 1 min) for half an hour and I do strength training 2x per week. I had to pretty much knock that off. Today I went for a long walk. I have to say it is a nice change for a gym rat.
- Set aside the time. You can do the program for 23 days, or 40 days. After that you build hCG immunity and need to stop for a while until you do another round.
- Pep talks. Starting the program at Green Valley Spa was the way to do it for me. I know you can do hCG to go, but, I needed a few peptalks to get started. Then, mid point it was hard. I called out there and spoke with some of the staff who had been on the program.
- Meal planning. Marianne (who runs HCG to go) gave me recipe print-outs and shopping guides. But, let’s be honest: I suck at planning my meals. Marianne sent me the hCG to go meals that are seal-packed. I just stick them in my freezer and take out two to defrost each day. It is infinitely better than anything I could cook. I also just don’t want to deal. This must be what it feels like having a wife.
Check this post again to see how my maintenance period goes. Wish me luck.
