The hHCG has arrived! I can't wait to get started! However, they say the best time to start the Protocol for women is immediately following your time of the month (TOM). Well, for once in my life, I was REALLY happy when I started this week! :) My friend won't get to start immediately following hers unless she wants to wait until next month. She's pretty anxious to get started on the Protocol also so we will likely start on Saturday or Sunday.
I was looking on the HCG Diet Yahoo group page at all the before and after pictures, which you have to be a member to see. However, there are lots of YouTube videos also if you search "HCG Protocol Before and After". Amazing and so inspiring! After the excitement wears off and anytime I start to struggle, I am going to watch them again! That should help keep me encouraged.
A funny thing has happened to me this week. I haven't been hungry, and I haven't been eating unless I am hungry...very strange for this TOM, when I usually can't get full! I have been drinking more water (at least 8 glasses a day), as well as some hot tea and coffee. My period has been much easier and less painful as well. It must be the water & keeping hydrated. Something that you definitely have to do on the Protocol.
I've also been trying to get into the habit of weighing myself every morning upon waking and emptying my bladder. It is imperative to weigh every morning on this Protocol. I have actually lost a few pounds this week, however, upon starting the Protocol, I am certain I will gain it back. The first 2 days on HCG are "Loading Days". This means I must "eat to capacity" according to Pounds and Inches. And I must eat high fat foods.
So, I have been making a mental list of some things I plan to eat on my Loading Days. Just to name a few: bacon (I haven't had bacon for a long time!), ice cream and Avanti's Special pizza! I'm pretty sure I will need Avanti's Lasagna also! Yes, I am going to gain. But it seems I must gain before I lose. They say if you Load properly on those 2 days, you will actually feel full on the VLCD (500 calories a day to be exact).
In the past, the idea of only 500 calories a day would have frightened me and most likely kept me from attempting the plan, but it doesn't now. I must be crazy, but I am looking forward to following the Protocol.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Is it Dangerous?
I've done my homework on this and you can rest assured, it is NOT dangerous. HCG is a hormone that women produce when they become pregnant. It is widely used to treat infertility. However, the FDA does not approve the use of HCG for weight loss. This does not mean that it is against the law to use it for that purpose, but it does mean that it is harder to obtain HCG for the purpose of weight loss. Many companies have gotten around that obstacle by producing Homeopathic HCG. A prescription is required to purchase HCG in the US, so the only way to legally obtain HCG without a prescription is to buy it from overseas. Homeopathc HCG (hHCG), however, can be purchased in the US without a prescription.
So, what are the alternatives for an obese person today? Eat less and exercise. I've done that with less than impressive results and I am not alone. Other alternatives? Prescription medications that have been approved by the FDA but later were found to be detrimental to one's health. Um, no thanks. Last, but not least, gastric bypass. Hmm, should we bother asking what the dangers of gastric bypass are? First of all, there are always risks involved with surgery including severe bleeding, infections, and possible death. Some other health dangers of bypass include vomiting, dumping syndrome, nutritional deficiency, gastritis, formation of gall stones, loose skin and even weight regain in the period of 3-5 years following the surgery. I know several people who have gone through this surgery, and I'm sure some believe it was right for them, but I can assure you that gastric bypass is not for me.
Here is my summary of the HCG Protocol. Dr. Simeon, the author of Pounds and Inches, claims that the use of HCG in combination with a very low calorie diet (VLCD) rids an obese person of the stored fat that is otherwise so difficult to eliminate. It also tricks the body into thinking it is taking in more calories than it actually is. HCG in combination with the VLCD is prescribed for a set period of time (21-41 days). This combination can result in weight loss of .5 to 1 pound per day for the average woman (and, of course, more for the average man). The next phase is a higher calorie diet to be resumed for a period of not less than 6 weeks, in which time the person is to maintain the weight loss within a 2 pound range (not exceeding 2 lbs. over or losing 2 lbs. under the weight that was reached on the last day of HCG). This is a very important step and it is said to reset the hypothalamus. Thus, this establishes a new "normal weight" for the body, which is said to be maintained more easily, though one must stick with the rules of no sugar and no starches during this period. At this point, one must decide whether or not they need to lose more weight, and may do so by restarting the phases. The final stage of the diet, the maintenance phase, allows you to slowly add previously forbidden foods into the diet. You then see how you react to these foods and decide whether or not you are able to add them in and still keep the weight off. Everybody reacts differently to different foods.
Here I am with limited options to rid myself of the excess weight that, I admit, I added to my own body. I am choosing to try the HCG Protocol because, in my opinion, it is a way to relearn and re-establish healthy eating patterns. It is not a license to go back to eating the way I did before, as that will most certainly cause the weight to return. I know this and I am ready to change the way I eat forever.
So, what are the alternatives for an obese person today? Eat less and exercise. I've done that with less than impressive results and I am not alone. Other alternatives? Prescription medications that have been approved by the FDA but later were found to be detrimental to one's health. Um, no thanks. Last, but not least, gastric bypass. Hmm, should we bother asking what the dangers of gastric bypass are? First of all, there are always risks involved with surgery including severe bleeding, infections, and possible death. Some other health dangers of bypass include vomiting, dumping syndrome, nutritional deficiency, gastritis, formation of gall stones, loose skin and even weight regain in the period of 3-5 years following the surgery. I know several people who have gone through this surgery, and I'm sure some believe it was right for them, but I can assure you that gastric bypass is not for me.
Here is my summary of the HCG Protocol. Dr. Simeon, the author of Pounds and Inches, claims that the use of HCG in combination with a very low calorie diet (VLCD) rids an obese person of the stored fat that is otherwise so difficult to eliminate. It also tricks the body into thinking it is taking in more calories than it actually is. HCG in combination with the VLCD is prescribed for a set period of time (21-41 days). This combination can result in weight loss of .5 to 1 pound per day for the average woman (and, of course, more for the average man). The next phase is a higher calorie diet to be resumed for a period of not less than 6 weeks, in which time the person is to maintain the weight loss within a 2 pound range (not exceeding 2 lbs. over or losing 2 lbs. under the weight that was reached on the last day of HCG). This is a very important step and it is said to reset the hypothalamus. Thus, this establishes a new "normal weight" for the body, which is said to be maintained more easily, though one must stick with the rules of no sugar and no starches during this period. At this point, one must decide whether or not they need to lose more weight, and may do so by restarting the phases. The final stage of the diet, the maintenance phase, allows you to slowly add previously forbidden foods into the diet. You then see how you react to these foods and decide whether or not you are able to add them in and still keep the weight off. Everybody reacts differently to different foods.
Here I am with limited options to rid myself of the excess weight that, I admit, I added to my own body. I am choosing to try the HCG Protocol because, in my opinion, it is a way to relearn and re-establish healthy eating patterns. It is not a license to go back to eating the way I did before, as that will most certainly cause the weight to return. I know this and I am ready to change the way I eat forever.
Monday, April 25, 2011
A Step Back in Time
At the beginning of any journey it is important to know where you are going, to have a final destination. It can also be helpful to know where you have already been. On this Journey I am about to begin, I believe it is imperative that I reflect on where I have been.
My first memory of having a weight issue occured when I was 13. A friend and I shared clothes, and one day as we were getting ready to go somewhere, she alerted me that I was having a difficult time fitting into "our" clothes (as if somehow I hadn't noticed this myself!) Only a true friend can be so forthright. We were friends for only a short time, as I had to move away. I wish I had known then what I know now about food.
My life had been turned upside down at the age of 12 and I began comforting myself with food. Plain and simple. I remember I was a size 16 at the age of 16, an 18 by the time I married at the age of 20. And after I had kids, well you can imagine it didn't get any better.
My eating habits were basically whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. My weight was out of control. I knew it, but I didn't know how to get the control back. Sure I tried many "diets"...Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, etc. And with most of the diets, I lost weight but eventually I fell back into my bad eating habits and, of course, I gained what I had lost and then a few more.
The idea of trying another diet became very discouraging. A few years ago I decided to focus on my health rather than my weight believing that when my eating habits changed, I would naturally begin to drop the weight. And that did happen somewhat, but not to the degree that I believed it should.
I am currently about 20 lbs. lighter than my heaviest weight, though even in the past few years, I have gained a few and lost a few several times. Even now, I am about 8 pounds down from where I was last summer and that is a little encouraging. The fact that I am no longer gaining weight every year is a big deal!
However, it has also been very discouraging knowing I have made many changes, even going to the gym faithfully for months in a row, to see such little change. The way I think about food is totally different now than it was a few years ago. I see it now as something that should benefit me rather than just something to satisfy my hunger. I am more concerned with what I allow myself to eat and how much of it I am eating (most of the time). My portions are much less now. And yet, my weight has been steady now for months.
So, when my cousin told me about this "diet from hell", as she called it, I can't say I was excited about it. She planted a seed. My curiosity watered that seed.
The Protocol is drastic, but I believe it is going to take drastic measures to get the drastic results that I am looking for. I don't even have a specific number that I want to see on the scale, so much as I want to be and look healthy. I want to have more energy. I want to feel comfortable and confident in my body. I believe that following this Protocol is going to get me there. I believe I am ready.
My first memory of having a weight issue occured when I was 13. A friend and I shared clothes, and one day as we were getting ready to go somewhere, she alerted me that I was having a difficult time fitting into "our" clothes (as if somehow I hadn't noticed this myself!) Only a true friend can be so forthright. We were friends for only a short time, as I had to move away. I wish I had known then what I know now about food.
My life had been turned upside down at the age of 12 and I began comforting myself with food. Plain and simple. I remember I was a size 16 at the age of 16, an 18 by the time I married at the age of 20. And after I had kids, well you can imagine it didn't get any better.
My eating habits were basically whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. My weight was out of control. I knew it, but I didn't know how to get the control back. Sure I tried many "diets"...Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, etc. And with most of the diets, I lost weight but eventually I fell back into my bad eating habits and, of course, I gained what I had lost and then a few more.
The idea of trying another diet became very discouraging. A few years ago I decided to focus on my health rather than my weight believing that when my eating habits changed, I would naturally begin to drop the weight. And that did happen somewhat, but not to the degree that I believed it should.
I am currently about 20 lbs. lighter than my heaviest weight, though even in the past few years, I have gained a few and lost a few several times. Even now, I am about 8 pounds down from where I was last summer and that is a little encouraging. The fact that I am no longer gaining weight every year is a big deal!
However, it has also been very discouraging knowing I have made many changes, even going to the gym faithfully for months in a row, to see such little change. The way I think about food is totally different now than it was a few years ago. I see it now as something that should benefit me rather than just something to satisfy my hunger. I am more concerned with what I allow myself to eat and how much of it I am eating (most of the time). My portions are much less now. And yet, my weight has been steady now for months.
So, when my cousin told me about this "diet from hell", as she called it, I can't say I was excited about it. She planted a seed. My curiosity watered that seed.
The Protocol is drastic, but I believe it is going to take drastic measures to get the drastic results that I am looking for. I don't even have a specific number that I want to see on the scale, so much as I want to be and look healthy. I want to have more energy. I want to feel comfortable and confident in my body. I believe that following this Protocol is going to get me there. I believe I am ready.
First Steps in the Journey
Welcome to my Journey! My hopes for this blog are to help guide others who may be considering the HCG Protocol, to share my real life experiences with the protocol and to be transparent throughout the process.
I was introduced to the HCG protocol by my cousin. She explained it to me very thoroughly, she was excited about the results she was experiencing, and she told me of a mutual acquiantance who had experienced great results following the protocol as well. It was like a seed being planted. I wasn't convinced that this was something I wanted to do, yet it intrigued me to the point that I explained it to my husband and to a close friend. The protocol made sense to me, but was I willing to allow myself to believe that this could really be the answer to my weight problem?
About a week later, I was looking at a Facebook friend's page (a friend of a friend, whom I asked to be friends with due to her postings about healthy eating topics), and I read that she had recently lost 80 pounds. Of course I was curious to find out how she had done it. I found her blog address (yes, I was creeping!), and was floored to discover that she had been following the HCG Protocol for the previous year!
So, now I have to know more about this Protocol! I read almost her entire blog in one sitting, and although she talked about a few things that I didn't yet understand, I was impressed with what I read. She was very honest and open, and she had good advice and information. Her blog was my spring board, and the beginning of my Journey.
My first steps of the Journey have been research, research, research! And to be honest, I love to research! I began looking into the Homeopathic HCG (from here on to be called hHCG) that she uses. I then read "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeons (the original guide to the Protocol), which you can find here. I looked up "HCG Protocol" on YouTube and gained more information. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I followed has been joining the HcgDieters Yahoo group. It has TONS of free information and advice! The group is dedicated to following Dr. Simeons original Protocol, with the exception of many people using hHCG rather than the original HCG injections.
My research indicates that many people have used the sublingual hHCG (drops you place under the tongue) with just as much success as those who choose HCG injections. So, after doing lots of research and conversing more with my friend Amy about the Protocol, she and I decided to order the hHCG drops from http://www.healingpowerwithin.net/ as was recommended on the HcgDieters Yahoo group. We ordered them 3 days ago (Friday), they are being shipped from the West Coast and we are hoping to receive them by the end of the week!
I was introduced to the HCG protocol by my cousin. She explained it to me very thoroughly, she was excited about the results she was experiencing, and she told me of a mutual acquiantance who had experienced great results following the protocol as well. It was like a seed being planted. I wasn't convinced that this was something I wanted to do, yet it intrigued me to the point that I explained it to my husband and to a close friend. The protocol made sense to me, but was I willing to allow myself to believe that this could really be the answer to my weight problem?
About a week later, I was looking at a Facebook friend's page (a friend of a friend, whom I asked to be friends with due to her postings about healthy eating topics), and I read that she had recently lost 80 pounds. Of course I was curious to find out how she had done it. I found her blog address (yes, I was creeping!), and was floored to discover that she had been following the HCG Protocol for the previous year!
So, now I have to know more about this Protocol! I read almost her entire blog in one sitting, and although she talked about a few things that I didn't yet understand, I was impressed with what I read. She was very honest and open, and she had good advice and information. Her blog was my spring board, and the beginning of my Journey.
My first steps of the Journey have been research, research, research! And to be honest, I love to research! I began looking into the Homeopathic HCG (from here on to be called hHCG) that she uses. I then read "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeons (the original guide to the Protocol), which you can find here. I looked up "HCG Protocol" on YouTube and gained more information. One of the most valuable pieces of advice I followed has been joining the HcgDieters Yahoo group. It has TONS of free information and advice! The group is dedicated to following Dr. Simeons original Protocol, with the exception of many people using hHCG rather than the original HCG injections.
My research indicates that many people have used the sublingual hHCG (drops you place under the tongue) with just as much success as those who choose HCG injections. So, after doing lots of research and conversing more with my friend Amy about the Protocol, she and I decided to order the hHCG drops from http://www.healingpowerwithin.net/ as was recommended on the HcgDieters Yahoo group. We ordered them 3 days ago (Friday), they are being shipped from the West Coast and we are hoping to receive them by the end of the week!
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