Carolina

• The brutal diet part is for a very short time. Even before you start, once you have set your start date, you KNOW where the light at the end of the tunnel lies, at least for this round. Other diets dictate that you will remain in restriction either until you have earned your freedom by achieving thinness, or others, like lowcarb and ZC, dictate that you must remain in restriction forever.
• The HCG makes this severe a level of restriction bearable. I'm on VLCD2, and I keep getting told that

...

I sat down and wrote all the phase days in my calendar, beginning today, Load Day 1, through August, in which I would finish R2P3 if I follow protocol as written, with a minimum P3/P4 period of six weeks.

So, the way it looks is

March 16-17: R1 L
March 18- April 26: R1 P2
April 27-May 17: R1 P3
May 18-June 7: R1 P4
June 8-9: R2 L
June 10-July 21: R1 P2
July 22-August 11: R1 P3
August 12-September 2: R2P4

...

Today is Load Day 1.

Woke up at 4:40 a.m., unable to contain my excitement. I have been reading and reading on this forum, and the successes I am seeing are very encouraging.

I have spent much of the past decade on weight loss internet forums, especially those dedicated to low-carb dieting, even so far as zero carb for fifteen months, without results. But this is the first one in which I see an unequivocal relationship between compliance with the plan and success. ...

1. Load on fatty foods, rather than starchy sugars.
2. SATURATED FAT is your friend. That crispy nub from the end of a ribeye steak, bacon, butter, ghee, cheese, more bacon, more cheese, sausage, ice cream, tons of cream in my coffee, more butter
3. Olive oil and nut butters and avocados are fine, but you want to do MORE ANIMAL FAT. The point of loading is to REPLENISH NORMAL FAT STORES. Mammals ain't made of olive oil.
4. Avoid booze. For these two days, eating is my JOB. I don't drink on the

...

So, I've been researching this plan until my brain hurts. I am understanding that HCG is not a quick fix, but rather a tool that can help us through a very challenging process.

I have decided to clear my calendar and not accept ANY disruptions during my R1P2.

I will be an inpatient in my own at-home weight loss clinic.

My supplies arrive tomorrow, and I start loading on Wednesday.