My Journey through the HCG protocol

My best friend told me about this protocol months ago. She has been researching it for some time and has read Kevin Trudeau’s book, thus, became quite passionate about the protocol and its effectiveness.

When she first told me about it, I blew it off as soon as she said, “shots.” I thought to myself, there’s no way in hell I’d shoot myself up the heiny for any amount of vanity. Weeks and months had gone by. The mad woman wouldn’t stop bringing it up, although only subtly in conversations about food or body image and even shopping. Soon, HCG was stuck in my head for the next 3 months like an annoying commercial or a pop tune.

Then one day, at the local Target, this scrawny woman with her teen age kids tried to pass me at the shampoo aisle and mumbled to her kids, “I just have to get past this fat woman.” I immediately thought, “hell! I can change my weight but you can’t do a thing about your ugly mug!” Expletives were running rampant through my mind at the same time. But stunned, hurt, humiliated and angered, I couldn’t bring myself to respond. And lucky for my children I didn’t retort. Lord knows I have no skill to confront someone in a constructive or calm manner.

Then I got to thinking, can I really change my weight?

Before my 2nd child was born, I was able to exercise religiously and get the runner’s high every morning. My weight was acceptable, fluctuating between 159 and 162 (I’m 5′9″). My physical aesthetics, satisfying (especially to my husband, which is how we got pregnant with the second child). But this time around, I have yet to shed the weight. Aside from the fact that I managed to gain 82 lbs. during the pregnancy, I just couldn’t muster enough energy to get up at 6 in the morning and hit the gym like I did a few years ago.

I was depressed and even a little self deprecating. I have tried several ways to lose the weight this time but it seemed nearly impossible. I worked out for 6 weeks in a row and sweat like a pig without a pound shed. Fast food is not my cup of tea. But I certainly have the physique of one who visits McDonald’s daily and Super Size her meals.

Then one evening, I got on the computer and began looking up HCG and the Simeon protocol. When I told my best friend I was considering doing the protocol and asking her questions, she nearly fell out of her chair.

So this is pretty much how I began prepping myself for the protocol:

Granted, I didn’t do much of the phase 1 suggested by Trudeau’s book. I decided to give myself at least a month before my T.O.M. to begin the protocol and to just modify some of my habbits. Right now, I have a few more days before my T.O.M. begins so I’m just prepping the food and bracing myself. The biggest thing I’ve cut out is Equal or Splenda and the flavored creamer with my morning coffee. I’m trying to cut out sodas completely but I still cheat at every other day. I have, however, switched to regular instead of Diet. I have seen some improvement in my general health. I don’t feel so edgy any more.

What I think will be my biggest challenge is the 500 caloric intake daily because I’m such a food fanatic. But I’m trying to stay optimistic and hope that I will not fall off of the wagon and be tempted by chocolate, pasta, or pastries (my biggest weaknesses).

My goal is to keep track of my journey so that I can one day, hopefully, go back and see how far I’ve come. At this very moment, I’m quite scared of myself. Scared that I don’t have enough will power to endure through the protocol to reach my goal. After all, I’ve been a chronic dieter all my life! I have never been able to keep a slim physique much less keep the weight off. What makes me think this time may be different than any other diet I’ve tried?

If you’ve done research on the Simeon protocol, you already know the answer. As for me, I’m just holding on to the logic behind the diet and keeping my fingers crossed.