Why I decided to try the HCG diet
When I first heard of the HCG diet I thought that anyone doing it had to be insane. So, what made me change my mind?
In 2002 I had the first half of my thyroid removed, less than two years later they took the rest of it. Prior to that I had always been able to keep my weight under control. Occasionally it would creep up, but a month or so of dieting and exercise and I was fine, suddenly I was gaining weight no matter how much I dieted. At first the doctor wasn’t concerned. You look fine he said, but I didn’t feel fine. As the pounds crept up my joints hurt more. Finally we added cytomel, another thyroid hormone, to the synthroid I was taking and I stopped gaining. Unfortunately by that point I had gained 60lbs.
My feet started causing me major problems. At first the doctors thought plantar fasciitis, then neuropathy, then eventually they realized that the ligaments and structure of my feet and ankles were collapsing under the weight. My joints couldn’t take the additional strain. After a life threating reaction to a drug prescribed for pain I had enough. I talked to my doctor about my belief that the only way I was going to get some pain relief was to get rid of the excess weight. However, the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and pain made it difficult to exercise without causing more pain.
The doctor suggested I consider the HCG diet. She said that usually she wouldn’t suggest it, but given my issues it seemed a viable alternative. If I was to do it, it needed to be under a doctor’s supervision. She referred me to a doctor who was experienced and prescribed the hormone. He had a three to six month waiting list and while I was waiting for my appointment with him, I researched the diet, I talked to some people who had tried the HCG diet, most had gained the weight back, but also hadn’t really worked at keeping it off.
I finally got to see the doctor just before we went to New York. He stressed that this would take the weight off, but I must work to keep it off. He estimated it would take two courses of four to lose the weight I wanted to. That is three weeks of injections, a week of maintenance, a six week break and then the injections again. I made an appointment to see him the day after we got back to get the prescriptions and learn how to inject myself with HCG.
So, here I am. Today is day three of the diet, and the day I begin eating only 500 calories a day. If you want to follow along I will be keeping a daily account here.
Originally published at moonlitsheep.com. You can comment here or there.