HCG…is it a healthy approach to weight loss?

I have had several friends and family members question my using HCG with the usual comment, “Of course you are losing weight, you are only eating 500 calories.” Actually, I don’t blame them for the comment – it is the same one I used before I understood the HCG protocol:

When I was 16, I went to a diet doctor and was injected with HCG and ate only 500 calories, a very low calorie diet (VLCD).  At that time, I doubt that I followed the directions for maintenance because I gained the weight back. Consequently, for many years when I told my “story” of my life-long challenge of losing weight, I mentioned that as a teen I even got an injection every day and ate a VLCD. Whenever I related this story, I added the comment, “Well, of course I lost weight, I was limited to 500 calories.”  Even though some of my friends and family are mouthing the same words that I used to use, now I know better.

During my years of seeking a weight loss solution, I have avoided very low calorie food plans because I didn’t want my body to go into starvation mode.

STALLED!!

     They (the books and other people following the protocol) said it would happen but I thought it’s not going to happen to me!  Well, it has! Got on the scale this morning and it was exactly the same as yesterday. :-( I told myself to not get discouraged but I really like seeing the numbers go down every single day. It is almost addictive—I can’t wait to get on the scale each morning. Now I am not complaining about my weight loss, which is really significant for me – 8.8 pounds – and I am only 7 pounds away from my goal weight, which totally amazes me. I am just kvetching a little bit!
     I have to be very careful, though, because my head has some crazy thinking going on. 

My History with Weight and Dieting

I have been battling weight since I was quite young (at age eleven my parents took me to a doctor to lose weight).  As a teen and young adult, my weight fluctuated between 125 and 150. At 150 I felt depressed and had lots of self-judgment and self-hatred. At 125 I felt wonderful, but the pounds easily and quickly came back on.

In addition to dieting, I used exercise in my quest to eliminate excess weight. As a young parent who played racquetball twice a week and constantly battled weight, I remember thinking to myself, I wonder how I’d manage my weight if I weren’t this active? Although heavy for almost my entire life, I have been very health conscious and am very grateful to be in excellent health. I like healthy eating – organic foods, lots of vegetables – yet I continued to carry excess weight.

Actively involved in 12 Step recovery for over twenty years,

About HCG

HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a hormone produced during pregnancy. For more than twenty years, Dr. A.T. W. Simeons studied the effects of using HCG to treat obesity and discovered that small regular doses of HCG caused the body to release abnormal fat while on a very low calorie diet (500 calories a day). And, those he treated reported not feeling hungry! HCG can be administered through injections or taken sublingually. The goals of the HCG protocol are to lose weight, reset/increase metabolism, and maintain the weight loss. Kevin Trudeau came out with his book in 2007, The Weight Loss Cure “They” Don't Want You to Know About, based on Dr. Simeons work.

Introduction

I have been answering lots of questions and discussing “What is Meryl doing now?” in regards to my weight. Therefore, I decided to start a blog to explain what I am doing and keep anyone interested up-to-date on how I am doing. I am a little nervous (not much) about being so transparent, especially since my weight and my food used to be one of my big secrets. Well, I guess my weight was no secret, I carried it around on my body for all to see, but I had a lot of shame about it. Now that I am in a more normal sized body, I am ready to venture forth sharing myself here. I started the HCG protocol one week ago and I am down almost nine pounds (8.8). For me, this is great news....on other diets and food plans if I lose one or two pounds a week I am happy. I have another ten days or more to go, and my goal is 15 pounds.