Wow!

182.2

Down 22.4 pounds from my starting weight!  SS pointed out that I have lost more than 10% of my start weight.  This diet is wacky.  You do everything right for a few days and lose very little then the next day you drop over a pound.  When I went to the doc on Tuesday my measurements showed that I had lost another 6 inches total.  Biggest areas of loss came from my gut, chest, and waist.  My pants have become really baggy and I've notched up the belt another 2 holes.  A lot of people are starting to notice that I'm getting skinnier too.

The doc on Tuesday said I could start doing anaerobic exercise if I wanted to, which I really do want to do but I also want to see how much I will lose with out doing anything else.  Part of me wants to get to the next phase of my life but I think it's in my best interest to adhere to the protocol the best I can.  So over the next 3 weeks I want to create a basic work out strategy that I know I will keep.

Day 23: I lied!

I'm breaking my resolution to eat chicken until I stopped losing.  I'm disappointed today that the scale didn't move, but I can't say I'm surprised.  I've had HUGE losses this week, so my body was bound to need a breather.  A couple other things may have contributed to the stall: I don't think I drank a full gallon of water yesterday, I got less than five hours of sleep, and as I cooked three more days worth of chicken last night, I licked my fingers and tasted the onions and broth I cooked it in.  Oh, and I'm probably experiencing some monthly bloating as well.  So, despite the fact that I swore I would eat beef again the first time my weight loss slowed, I'm still stickin' with the chicken.  When the 12 servings (3 days worth) I cooked last night are gone, I'll reassess.  If I'm still stuck, I'll be lickin' the chicken.  


I have a couple other "good news" items today!  Last night, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in awhile who told me I looked like I had lost weight.  To hear that from someone who had no idea I was dieting really made my day!  Thank you, friend!  


I'm also pretty sure I'm completely over soda now.  I've been craving cola and wishing I could find some cola-flavored stevia drops.  I had read about a stevia-sweetened soft drink, but I found that it was pretty pricey.  I saw a six pack on sale at Sprouts yesterday for 3.99, so I decided to splurge.  I tried one with dinner, and while it wasn't bad, I think my tastes have changed enough that I've moved on.  It never ceases to amaze me how much my tastes have changes in so little time thanks to the HCG!

HCG 101

I know that we have some new readers who aren't entirely familiar with the HCG Protocol, so I'll summarize for you.  This article, while somewhat skeptical of the diet, gives a pretty good overview.  The main points: 

• HCG, or Human Chorio Gonadotropin, is a hormone which is found in both men and women, though pregnant women have the highest levels of HCG in their bodies.  The HCG hormone can be made synthetically or extracted from a pregnant woman's urine.
• Daily administration of the HCG is usually through one of two methods -- either an oral supplement or a liquid injection.
• The HCG shots are said to command your hypothalamus to release fat from storage, which triggers the body to combine that fat (along with 500 calories from food) as energy, causing the body get rid of excess fat.
• The original HCG diet plan is quite restrictive and particular. For breakfast, you can have only tea or coffee without sugar.  For lunch and dinner, you can cook 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of lean meat or seafood and pair it with one vegetable from this list of 13: asparagus, beet greens, cabbage, celery, chard, chicory, cucumbers, fennel, green salad, onions, red radishes, spinach and tomatoes.  For lunch and dinner, you can eat one toast cracker and an orange, apple, half a grapefruit or strawberries.
• Combining the extremely low-calorie diet with the HCG hormone injections will lead to immediate weight loss without the common side effects of many restrictive diets, such as hunger pains, headaches and nausea. Dieters who follow the Protocol generally average weight loss of between a half pound and three pounds each day. 

If you are considering beginning the HCG Protocol, you absolutely must read Dr. A.T.W.'s Manuscript, "Pounds and Inches".  It's 43 pages, which seems long, but it details his research (going back more than 50 years) at his weight loss clinic in Italy, describes how the Protocol works, and outlines the exact details of the diet.  

Be aware that in recent years, other people have begun marketing versions of the Protocol, most notably Kevin Trudeau, an infomercial salesman and convicted felon.  Trudeau's protocol is much more complicated than the original Protocol, but many people have incorporated features of Trudeau's plan into their HCG weight loss plans.  

While HS and I are doing subcutaneous injections as outlined in the Simeons Protocol, many people receive their HCG via sublingual drops.  The formulations (and availability) are different, but most people claim to have similar (or even better) results with the drops as the injections.  

HS and I are under the care of a Naturopathic Doctor who supplies us with pre-filled syringes of the HCG.  Another person who is close to me purchased her HCG from an online clinic based in Colorado.  Her "consultation" with the doctor consisted of a conference call with other buyers.  She had to wait a couple weeks for her HCG to arrive in the mail (from a pharmacy in Florida) and then had to mix the HCG herself, but she paid about half of what each of us paid.  Many people purchase their HCG online from sources in Canada, India, or elsewhere overseas for about 25% of what each of us paid for our HCG, but they sometimes have their packages confiscated by Customs.  Many other people purchase "homeopathic" HCG to be used sublingually.  There are many sources available online, including eBay, for about 10% of what each of us paid.  

I've read A LOT about the Protocol and peoples' experiences with it.  If you have a question, feel free to ask.  If I don't know the answer, I probably know where to find it.