HCG

Back in 2004 when I was training for the Triple Bypass in Colorado, I employed the services of Carmichael Training Systems. I asked my coach about various activities and how they might benefit my cycling. He said, point blank, the best way to improve your road cycling skills is to do lots of road riding. In many ways, I agree with what he said. On the surface it makes sense. But if you dig deeper, or spend much time on the bike, it becomes apparent that other factors must be developed OFF the bike in order to make you better ON the bike. Strength training, tricep, ab, & back exercises especially, are very beneficial. The point here is that other activities can strengthen your road cycling abilities. Mtb increases power output, for example.

The key is to examine your weaknesses as a cyclist or athlete. In my case, there is one clear factor that hinders my performance: weight. And the best way to lose weight is NOT on the bicycle, or even in the gym. Many studies are emerging and a consensus is growing that exercise does not help you lose weight, it only helps you to maintain weight. Yes, there are examples to this rule, and there was a time when I was one of them. In 2009-2010 I exercised 20-30hrs/wk AND followed the Weight Watchers diet. I worked my way from 303# to the lower 220's. But again, this is the exception to the rule. Most people don't have the time or the willpower to exercise so many hours. Even I didn't have the will power to exercise so much and NOT indulge in Dairy Queen or whatever. And did I keep the weight off? After meeting Anne & breaking my wrist, I ballooned up to 279...so no, I didn't keep it off. Regardless of the temporary success I had then, my life is different now. While I do have plenty of time to exercise if I chose to prioritize that over spending time with Anne or working, it's still not the best way to lose weight.

So now, today, is the beginning of my diet. Technically the prior two days have been loading days, but today begins the Very Low Calorie Diet. The gist of it is this: you take HCG, a natural hormone that the body produces on it's own, but you take a higher dose of it. The HCG, once absorbed into your fat cells, releases those fat cells into the bloodstream making them available for metabolism. Fat is coursing through the body just waiting to be burned, so your diet, the food you actually eat, can be very low in calories. You avoid fat at all costs and eat only minimal sugars. Yes, the diet is very restrictive. You eat a fruit, 8oz protein, a veggie, another fruit, another 8oz protein, and another veggie. That's it. That's your daily intake. 500-800 calories, and the rest of what the body needs it takes from fat.

I was very skeptical at first. I first did HCG last year and it worked extremely well. I dropped 30-40# in two months. But I started to go crazy from boredom! I didn't exercise as much as I should have--you're allowed 1hr a day. But I guess I figured it wasn't even worth it to only do 1hr/day. Another source of boredom was the food. You can only eat so many salads, so many filets of tilapia, before you go kinda bonkers. So in a sense, I got in my own way of losing weight by not exercising regularly enough &, when I did exercise, I did way too much, and also by cheating with the foods I ate later on in the diet.

So how can I improve this time? Well, I've got a little extra motivation to help me. I get married on March 19, which is only just over 2 months from now. Hopefully that will help me to keep on track. From there, I need to plan for success. My goal is to break 200 by time I get married. With HCG that IS a realistic goal. So how am I going to achieve it?

1.  Don't cheat with the foods. Plan a VARIETY of acceptable foods in order avoid boredom.
2.  Exercise more! Lift weights, hike, swim, play tennis (if the knee allows). Just stay moving, stay busy!
3.  TRACK everything. That's what I did during my first cycle, which was my most successful cycle.
4.  Remember your goals and why you're doing this. Yes, I want to look good for my wedding and for Anne. I also want to become a rocket on the bicycle. I want to be proud of how I look, feel, and perform. Say that again...

I WANT TO BE PROUD OF HOW I LOOK, FEEL, AND PERFORM.

I'd say that sums it up. Now get to work!