Laughing and crying, you know it's the same release. Joni Mitchell

Laughing and crying, you know it's the same release. Joni Mitchell

Sunday, February 26, 2012

The ABC's of HCG

Two mice; the mouse on the left has more fat s...Image via Wikipedia
Before and after hCG!
You may be wondering exactly how hCG works and how to follow the Simeon Protocol. Well, I'll tell you - but first my check-in. The third week was similar to the second - slower weight loss than the first week and I hit another plateau. I did an "apple day" and lost 1 lb. That's 13 lbs total and 9" so far. Even with less dramatic results than the first week, that's still 4.3 lbs a week, which is higher than any other weight loss program I've ever done before.

How does hCG work? Dr. A.T.W. Simeon searched for the answer to obesity in the 1950's and discovered the use of hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced in large quantities in pregnancy. The hCG hormone uses the body's abnormal, or adipose, fat reserves as fuel to protect the health of the growing fetus. Combined with the Simeon Protocol, hCG burns the body's abnormal fat deposits and suppresses the appetite to control hunger for both men and women. Even though the protocol calls for a very low caloric intake, the use of the abnormal fat reserves gives the body all the nutrients and fuel that it needs. With other low calorie diets, the body will go to the normal fat reserves first and only start to burn the abnormal, or storage fat, once the normal fat is gone, giving the dieter a gaunt, drawn look. My mentor, Jonathan Glass, said that you will lose weight "from the inside out" as the hCG first burns the long-term abnormal fat first and then the normal fat. Good-bye belly! Good-bye hips! Good-bye thighs!

Why did Dr. Simeon call it a cure for obesity? If the protocol is strictly followed, it will reset the body's "set-point" and retrain your brain to respond to your body's hunger response correctly. The hypothalamus is called the master gland and controls the body's nervous system and endocrine system. One of the many things that the hypothalamus controls is metabolism and food intake. It tries to keep the body stable and establishes a set-point for weight. If the hypothalamus is not working properly, hunger rises, cravings ensue, more fat is stored and a higher set-point is established. Often it feels impossible to get below that higher set point no matter what diet or exercise routine is followed. The Simeon Protocol lowers the body's set-point and re-trains the brain to keep it there.

Structure of Leptin, PDB id 1AX8, generated wi...Image via Wikipedia
Structure of Leptin
What is Leptin Resistance? Leptin is a hormone that tells the hypothalamus when enough fat has been stored in the body. However, if the communication between leptin and the brain is not functioning properly, the brain will not tell the body to stop storing fat and keeps storing more and more fat. This is called Leptin Resistance. It becomes a vicious cycle because leptin is produced by adipose fat - the more adipose fat, the more leptin; the more leptin, the more likelihood of creating and maintaining Leptin Resistance. It's like when a child keeps calling his mother over and over, and the mother learns to tune him out. In this case, the hypothalamus tunes out the barrage of messages from the leptin and continues to store abnormal fat. Once the body begins to reduce the stores of adipose fat, the leptin returns to normal levels and the brain tunes in again. At that point, the brain will return the body to normal appetite levels, reduce cravings and increase energy output to burn extra calories.

What is the Simeon Protocol? There are four phases to the protocol. Phase 1 and 2 include hCG drops three times a day. Do not eat or drink for 15 minutes before drops. Tap bottle on palm 10 times then place 8 to 10 drops under the tongue and hold it there for two to five minutes. Have nothing to eat or drink for 20 minutes after drops.

Phase 1: Load Days - the first two days are called "load" days. Start taking the homeopathic hCG drops three times a day and gorge on healthy fats such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, olives, cheese etc. Eat as much as you can, but try to avoid too much sugar. This is the last hurrah!

Phase 2: VLCD - very low calorie diet (500 calories/day). Follow phase 2 for a minimum of 28 days and a maximum of 40 days. This is the most difficult and most dramatic phase of the program. Continue taking the hCG drops three times a day. Drink lots of water (half your body weight in ounces) and eat limited protein, fruit and vegetables. NO FAT AT ALL! This is very important. The goal is to have the hCG target abnormal fat stores in the body and not dietary fat. Everything consumed must be organic! Do not consume the same protein, vegetable or fruit more than once a day. The only exception to that rule is an apple, which can be eaten more than once per day. You must weigh yourself every day and no alcohol!
  • Breakfast: tea or coffee. One tablespoon per day of skim milk or soy milk may be used per day. No artificial sweeteners - stevia or xylitol may be used for sweetening. (I often eat the fruit portion from lunch for my breakfast and I use the fruit portion from dinner as dessert later in the evening.)
  • Lunch and Dinner: One serving protein, fruit and vegetable.
    • Protein: (3.5 oz raw; 3.0 oz cooked) including grass-fed beef, veal, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab or shrimp. Vegetarians may use whey powder or eggs. No other proteins allowed!
    • Fruit: one apple, one orange, half grapefruit, handful of strawberries. No other fruits!
    • Vegetables: (2 cups) radishes, cucumbers, celery, fennel, cabbage, onions, spinach, lettuce, chard, asparagus, beet greens, tomatoes (1 cup).
    • Condiments: as much garlic and spices as you want, apple cider vinegar, sugar-free mustard
    • Stop the hCG drops during the last two days of the VLCD.
Phase 3:  Readjusting the set-point - This phase gives your body time to readjust to the new, lower set point. It takes about three weeks for the weight to stabilize.You may now add more food, including fat, to your diet, but NO SUGAR OR STARCH. A glass of wine every now and then is okay. Carbs such as sugar, potatoes, rice, bread and pastries are the most dangerous! Continue to weigh yourself every day. If you gain more than 2 pounds, you must do a correction day, such as the apple day. I'll go into more detail on correction days next time.
  • Once you have maintained your weight for three weeks, you can either:
    • go onto Phase 4 or
    •  if you have more weight to loose, you can go back to Phase 2.
Phase 4: Maintenance - Start to introduce reasonable amounts of sugars and starches back into your diet. Continue to weigh yourself every day for the first three weeks and use a correction day if you gain more than 2 pounds over your last phase 2 weight. At this point, you will have a good idea of what types of food your body likes and doesn't like so you won't be tempted to return to eating processed, empty calories.
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