Weight Loss Journey-- Core Phase, the start of the challenge!

If you have read the previous entry and the links there, you would know that there are 5 phases in this HCG diet:

1. Loading
2. Core
3. Transition
4. Maintenance
5. Stabilization

I am currently in my 2nd transition day before moving on to the Maintenance phase the day after tomorrow and I do not want to talk about the loading phase at this particular moment. Maybe later, during my better times.. but  I will always remember my Loading phase with fondness and longing, and that is all I am going to say about it for now!

Lets get to the to the core (pun intended) of the business. Core phase is the crux of the matter with this hcg diet. For 13-45days you have a very restrictive calories intake AND allowable specific food ONLY. Luckily, I was methodical enough to go through the protocol carefully, poring through the manuscript and preparing myself mentally before taking on the challenge. 


The key word to embarking in this diet is MENTAL PREPARATION. 

• You have to want your weight loss badly enough - because the core phase is not easy. A hundred grams of protein and a cupful of vegetable cooked without oil/butter or any form of fat. It means soup and soup, and more soup for as long as the Core and Transition phase last.

• You have to realize and understand that it is going to be hard. Working for something good is, usually, so this is no different. I thought I would breeze through it as I had done it before by limiting myself to about 1000-1200Cal per day, but this is 500Cal is like starvation, and therefore be prepared for hunger pangs! I was not prepared for the intense craving for carbohydrate because in my previous diet regime it was allowed albeit in very limited amount.
• You have to KNOW that there will be temptations. The diet is not hard when you are eating alone. You just sit at your dining table and visualize a slimmer and healthier you and the soup will taste delicious. The real challenge is when you have company, the ones who do not understand that you are on a diet who cajoles and teased you into having 'just a little won't hurt' bite. It is bad with an ordinary diet, where the restriction is only on amount of food, but its worse, on a HCG diet because you can only eat one kind of protein and one kind of vegetable at a given meal time. Try going to an office party where they served Nasi Bukhara, pasta, fried chicken, mixed salad etc. Try cleaning up the protein or separating cucumbers from a salad, and you will get some funny stares all around.
• You have to be prepared for the weird way the waiter will be looking at you when you order your food while dining out. There are only a handful of restaurants that can cater for the diet, mainly western ones (read:expensive!) and even they could not comply with absolutely "NO OIL" rule. I made do with grilled beef, chicken or fish (which i blot with bread to get rid of the oil)   and an uncooked tomato. I usually chickened out and asked my friend to order for me hehehe... or if i am alone, i prefer going home to eat.

 "Oh waiter! I'll have the grilled chicken, sauce on the side, no butter or oil please, oh if u must, just a little bit of olive oil then,if u please,  and can you substitute the mash potato and the vegetable with one tomato please?" and still they say, "Maam, i have to check with the chef first"! with their eyes as big as saucers...Duhhh!!!

•  One of the way to avoid such temptations is to choose the right time to attempt this diet. Choose a time when you do not have to attend social functions, or near festivities where there will be parties and open houses etc. Timing is the key!

• You have to have good support system. DO it with a friend, so you do not have to go through this alone. You can have someone to share your sad cravings and makes it funny. You can whine and cry over hunger pangs and have someone tell you to drink your unsweetened green tea or water with apple cider vinegar and go to sleep. It made my core phase certainly more bearable!

An excerpt of my sms with MG:

Me: Damn hungry tonight. Just ate an orange and my tummy is growling.

MG: that happens. I usually forced myself to sleep.Take coffee la

ME: i am surfing hcg support group forum to find solace in others' sufferings lol

MG: hahahah

• You must prepare for the things required in this diet program. The HCG drops, the digital weighing scale, the measurement tape, the lean meat, the stevia etc. This is where friends come in handy. 
• You must be prepared for a realistic pattern of weight loss. The protocol said, a staircase pattern, which means some day you lose then you might stall and then lose again. If you cheat on the protocol, you might even gain, oh myyyy!! and how i gained... but that's another story for another entry:-D
• You must set a limit to this endeavor, either time or weight loss limit. You can't go on blindly and hoping to get the best out of it like I did. It gets tiring and frustrating eating the same thing everyday. The consolation however is the constant weight loss. And if like me, with no goals in mind, by the time i finished my core phase I regret not pushing myself to lose 10kg instead of 8.
• You must not cheat (hehehe), but you must be realistic too and know that you will cheat (more than once) and therefore prepare yourself to get back on track and make amends and remind yourself that you only have to do it for a limited time. 

Alright, enough with the negative preparation. There are certainly positives one you must be prepared for too:

• The fat will melt away. Be prepare for friends, family and colleagues to question you why and haunt/hound you for details.
•  Your clothes will be loose and you will rather keep on wearing them rather than go and buy new ones because you KNOW you are going to lose more weight next week and therefore do not want to spend your hard-earned money for now. Just make sure you invest in a very tight belt on your pants until you reach your target.
• You must learn to accept compliments graciously.  (yeah ! like that is so hard....)
• You must be able to deal with jealousy or envy gracefully too.
• You must be able to curb your impulse to approach anyone overweight you see on the street and blabber to them about HCG- tsk tsk tsk!
• You must be prepare to adopt a healthy lifestyle because you do not want to go on eating like that for the rest of your life

• You must be prepared to really spend some money for a new wardrobe soon because Raya is coming soon and there are sales everywhere now and you KNOW you are going to look fabulous! yehaaaaa!

OK, to be continued... my tummy is growling.. one and a half day to maintenance.....until then, healthy living people! 

I leave you with this list i made for a friend who started HCG diet a week later than me! 

Salam O, here is the list, not in particular order, just top of my head. what u need most though, is the superpower that wont make u eat when people invite or force u to :-D (on our own we will be ok)

1. Hcg drops

2. plastic spoon

3. Measuring tape

4. Digital weighting scale

5. Old levi's jeans

6. Green tea

7. Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar

8. Notebook - to record

9. Small thermos

10. Food container for 100gms protein

11. Chicken breast, beef steak, peeled prawns

12. Lettuce, cabbage, spinach, celery, asparagus

13. Grissini sticks

14. Onion powder,chilli flakes, white and black pepper

15. Dried Condiments- rosemary, oregano etc

16. Measuring cup

17. Kitchen weighing scale

18. Water bottle

19. Laxative tea

20. Multi vitamin

21. Stevia

22. Ziploc containers for takeaways