My name is Jen and I am the founder of HCG Diet Info. I made the decision to create HDI in 2002 when I was on the HCG Diet and I realized there was not a single site online to help others on the protocol. I had 13 visitors my first week (and yes, I still know and love them 🙂 In 2013, HDI passed 100 million visitors and continues to grow today, as the leading authority on the HCG Diet Plan, AND one of the largest health sites on the web.
How the HCG Diet Has Changed My Life…
A few years ago, I had some guests staying over; friend’s of friend’s from overseas that didn’t particularly know me or my lifestyle habits. As I was settling them in, I told them to make themselves at home, and two of them opened my fridge and were perusing my kitchen. I heard them talking amongst themselves as I was getting them settled.
One of the girls finally asked, “Do you always eat like this?”
I had no idea what she was referring to. “Like what?”
I walked over to my fridge and looked. There it was in all it’s glory: stacks (yes, stacks) of organic kale, tubs of spinach, rows of english cucumbers. A fridge door full of coconut water. I looked on my counter where one girl was pointing: Bags of spirulina chips, containers of amazing grass vegetable shakes. Vega protein drink mix. Terra chips. Raw Bars and Kind Bars, amazing grass bars, chia bars. And of course, my beloved, and well-used Vitamix. My entire kitchen was that of a next-gen, health nut.
I remember that moment well. I couldn’t help but wonder… “When did this happen???? When did I start eating like this? Heck, when did I start to ENJOY eating like this???”
This truly was an eye-opening moment for me. I remembered the days when I had a box of twinkles (gag) stashed in my car, and couldn’t pass through a grocery line without grabbing a snickers and a diet coke (btw, my size 2 friend once told me, “only fat girls drink diet coke” and I’ve come to realize she was right.) I ate fast food… and enjoyed it. I overstuffed myself at every meal and didn’t own a swimsuit… on purpose. Ahhh…. those were the days. (The days where I would have been happy to fit into a size 16 because a size 16 were my “skinny jeans.”) Well, times have changed and I have evolved… and continue to evolve, into that vibrantly healthy woman I never imagined I could be.
This year, I had a baby. I was a size 14 when my little guy was born. (I didn’t mind.) Still a far cry from my the size 20 I was when I first started the HCG Diet. I am now in a size 12, still carrying some post-baby weight and this has brought some interesting insights. My first instinct was to go on the HCG Diet again: “No problem, I’ll drop this weight and be back in a size 6 in no time.” Great idea, right? Except that I’m breastfeeding… and the diet has to wait. This is where those insights come into play… being the woman that I am, (always striving for improvement,) I realized my next level of health and fitness is just around the corner. My new goal? To find myself in a position where the diet won’t be necessary ever again, even if I have another baby. That is where I am at now- I am preparing to put together something HUGE that I can share with all of you…. a gift for you that will come as a result from my explorations into this next stage of fitness: How to lose the weight with the HCG diet while learning what it takes to keep the weight off naturally, forever. Imagine that for a moment. I am. Keep an eye on my newsletter for updates on this!
About my HCG diet success story…
Once upon a time, I was around 240+ lbs. I had tried every diet on the planet (or at least it felt like it) and ultimately ended up in a size 18/20. A friend once mentioned she was on this “miracle medical hormone diet” that a doctor she worked with had recommended. I was shocked- she had been a size 2 for as long as I had known her, but apparently that wasn’t always so. Imagine my shock when she said she had once been over 170 lbs. I suddenly had visions of what it would be like to live a life where I could eat something…anything, without a mix of guilt and shame, and shop in the “normal girls” section. I literally felt desperate to find information on this diet that could possibly have such long term results. I searched on the web for hours…days… weeks. I found nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. I started a yahoo group, searching for others that had heard of this diet. A few gathered, and a few shared tips on possible clinics that would prescribe hcg for weight loss. Another shared the original manuscript she had gotten from a doctor. One thing led to another and a month later, I had my HCG and was ready to start. I modified the 500 calorie diet, adding more greens, and a few supplements. I was motivated to exercise. Within a few months, I had lost over nearly 90 lbs., and I felt better than I had ever felt in my life.
Where I’m at today…
Over the years, my weight has fluctuated somewhat, but I never gained all that weight back, not even close. While I had no guidance to the maintenance phase (which didn’t exist back then) it was trial and error that slowly led me to the healthy person that I am today. My average size over the last 10 years has been a size 8. I have been as high as a 12 before figuring out what the problem was, tweaking my diet/lifestyle and making my way back down to a size 6/8. I looooooove to workout… although I rarely call it working out. Instead, you’ll hear me say, “I love moving.” (Moving is so much more fun than exercising, don’t you think?) I box- yes, gloves and all. I weight lift and I love it. I’m not afraid of a paddle board and have been known to win a paddle-battle with my friends (sorry you fell in, Justin) I love to swim, and even jog on a regular basis. Yoga is a daily.
What about food, you ask? This is the craziest thing- I’m not afraid of butter. I’ll say it again… I’m not afraid of butter. I’m not afraid of chocolate either. The difference between big-Jen and now-Jen though… I rarely eat butter. It just doesn’t occur to me to eat it regularly. I buy unsalted, organic butter and it lasts for months and often has to be thrown away before it’s all used. Chocolate; I only reach for dark chocolate- healthier choice and now, I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate (ew.) Plus, a bite or two is so much more satisfying than handfuls of milk chocolate. I love spinach and I put it in everything; I toss it in my omelettes and smoothies. I tear it up and add it to tuna salad. I throw it on top of my pizzas. Yes, I eat pizza. Yet, I go ages without buying bread. I used to love spelt bread but somehow, I’ve slowly gotten out of the habit of bread. Wraps- I’ll do spinach wraps occasionally. OMG I love wraps with nothing but spinach, avocado and tomato, sprinkled with sea salt and Braggs amino acids. I suppose you see a trend here right? I definitely make healthier food choices that have now become my natural preference.
I’ve recently realized that my biggest post HCG Diet accomplishment was letting go of the battle. This alone makes it incredibly hard for me to GAIN weight. As I mentioned above, I am currently holding onto some post-baby weight. The weight is not coming off easily… but unlike years ago, the weight is not coming on easily either. In fact, it’s the holidays and I have been EATING and enjoying it! I stepped on the scale the other day expecting a few extra pounds. I’d lost a pound.
