Truth in the Lies

More Pies than Fingers...

2011-04-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hello again, I have been gone a while! I have many updates to share. First of all, to follow up on the HCG diet I tried; I lost ten pounds, BUT, I am fairly positive it had nothing to do with the HCG and everything to do with how little I was eating on the diet plan. Roughly one piece of plain baked chicken, one apple and two cups of spinach. I am pretty sure that when I follow this eating plan again in a week or two, I will have the same results.

Other news; I have started my own business, well, three of them actually, which explains why I have been to busy to blog. I will shamelessly plug my work later.

I have tried several things over the last month that I absolutely LOVE! But I only have time for one today.

Gluten Freeda's Organic Burritos. They are delicious. I was completely surprised because I have never been a fan of frozen foods, especially burritos. I suggest the Chicken and Cheese, they are my favorite.

Sorry the picture is sideways. I did not have it save to my computer this way. Blogspot just feels like displaying it this way.

The Deal on the Diet

2011-02-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

HCG, it's just all the rage right now. But does it work? Drops, injections, what is the deal? Since I have been working my way back down from baby number three, I am giving it a shot. All the info on this diet was interesting and believable, but a little too good to be true. Yes, I am going into this one with a little skepticism.

So HCG is the hormone we produce in early pregnancy. In early pregnancy, we vomit our lungs out. The baby still needs nutrition, and this is where HCG is supposed to come in and release our fat stores to feed the baby. The theory behind the HCG diet, is that the HCG combined with a very low calorie diet (VLCD), causes us to burn fat. Well, a VLCD would burn fat anyway. Eating 500 calories a day would cause fat loss on its own. The HCG is supposed to decrease appetite and protect muscle loss. Don't ask me how, I am not the doctor!

HCG Injections - This is supposedly the ideal method, injected by a physician or eeek, by yourself at home. Let me just say, if you are thinking about putting a needle in your own stomach everyday, it is time to seek some professional help.

HCG Drops - These are not real HCG, but a homeopathic clone of some sort. You take them under the tongue 2, 3, or 6 times per day. You can choose your schedule on the dosing chart. This is what I am trying. The kind I am using have a slight alcohol burn. I will try to update every week.

Here it is, day 4 of this diet, and I do not see any difference from Atkins or severe calorie restriction. I will give it two weeks before I start calling for my refund though. I have lost about 2 1/2 pounds, but I am eating 500 calories a day or less, so I feel like that would have happened anyway. Last night I totally broke down and ate a handful of peanut M&M's, but it did not seem to have a negative impact. Oh, I am also using ketostix. They test for ketones in your urine. The test strip turns pink to purple-ish when ketones are present. This indicates that you are in ketosis and that your body is burning fat. This is not to be confused with ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous condition for diabetics. I have been negative for ketones until this afternoon. The strips are getting progressively darker. So I am burning fat, but it would appear to be from the calorie restriction, not the HCG. The hunger for the last two days was pretty strong, but today I have no appetite. Is it the HCG, or starvation mode? I'll reserve my judgement until week 2, but it is not looking good for HCG drops.

**This diet was popular in the 70's, but quickly discarded due to the lack of proof that it worked. There are phases to this diet as well; a 2 day fat loading phase, the 21-34 fat loss phase, the 3 days to taper off of the drops, and a 21 day stabilization phase. Phase 4 seems to be stage 2 of Atkins. The only novel idea to me is the fact that you should stabilize your weight and food intake before trying to lose more weight or returning to normal eating. I never really thought about that before. By normal eating I mean healthy carbs like fruits, Larabars, whole wheat bread and pasta. Not drive through meals or deep fat fried things. I reserve my extra calories for treats like chocolate or Mexican food!

The Mellow in the Dramatic

2011-02-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. What am I about, you ask? The simple answer would be experience. I like to share my many experiences with anyone who desires information. Every time I search the Internet, I find hundreds of pages that are written by marketing corporations. I don't want to know what companies think about their own products and services, I want to know what real people have to say. I doubt I am the only one who feels this way.

The Point
Take anything you find here as the honest opinion of your average consumer. I have no loyalties or affiliations. I am not sponsored by anyone. I do not make any money off blogging. Why do I do it then? Well, for one, I enjoy writing. I enjoy having a creative outlet where I can use grown up words and thoughts. That happens when you spend 90% of your day with a 3 year old and a 5 month old. Also, I honestly want to help other people. If anything I have to offer helps someone else, I am more than happy to share. Last but not least, sometimes I just want to have a voice in the world. So here I am....

What can you expect from me?
Many, many, many opinions. I have lots of those. Topics may range from cold medicine to world peace. I promise to never make absolute judgements on things I do not understand, but I will certainly tell you how I feel. I will tell you if I think certain products are worth your money, or absolute crap. I run hot and cold with trends. I do not own an IPhone and I detest SillyBandz. I have tried many diets, as I am not naturally thin, and I am considering the IPad. For the most part, I look before I leap. If I am compelled to try something, I will tell you why, and I will tell you if it worked.

**Truth in The Lies
Yes, that is a nod to my favorite guilty pleasure and mild obsession; Bones. What can I say? I love that show. It is not the focus of this blog, but that doesn't mean you won't hear about it O-ccaisionally. The blog titles are inspired by the show. Forgive me Hart Hanson, I'll have to be careful not to infringe on any of your copyrights....

Please feel free to comment, question or debate me. Just please be respectful. You can have a different opinion without swearing or slinging insults. Not that it will hurt my feelings, but no one wants to read all that vulgarity. It is just not shocking anymore. The only thing that shocks me these days is when adults manage to debate without swearing.