8 Steps for Weight Loss – Where hCG Fits In

Last week I introduced some of you to the hCG Diet. And a few of you were already familiar with it which is good. In fact one of you replied with what your experiences with it had been.
 

Just to let you know in January, I did use HCG. I lose 40lbs in 40+ days. The HCG came in a spray so there were on injections. I did not have any side effects (discounting the breasts I grow – just kidding). I was eating more than 500 calories daily, but not much more.

 I agree that I could have lost the weight without the HCG but it does help you focus on your goal and in the final view I did lose the weight.

 It is 8 month and I still have kept the weight off but I have watched what I am eating and eating less.

 I am not recommending HCG but I lost the weight.

 Thanks for the feedback.

 And besides this comment there was some other feedback as well. So it has people taking I think it makes sense to clarify my position on this.

 I don’t the doubt effectiveness. I don’t doubt that it can be safely administered.

 Here’s my issue with it.

 It can become step #1 for some people.

 Step #1? What the heck am I talking about, right?

 Well here’s how I approach weight loss and body transformation in terms of 7 steps. So I guess you could call this my 8 Steps for Weight Loss.

 Step #1 – Get Your Head in It

 I’ve mentioned this many times before and probably sound like a broken record. If want to have success at anything in life you need to believe in the process and in your ability to achieve that success.

 For example, if a health practitioner is advocating a prescription (not necessarily a drug) towards better you either take and follow the prescription or your don’t. You either believe it’s going to work and you follow it to a ‘T’ or you don’t bother.

 This is no different than someone seeking weight loss. You either buy into the plan or you find another plan.

 Step #2 – Get Your Rest in Order

 Most of us don’t get enough sleep. And then we disrupt the hormones related to fat loss. And we have trouble finding the energy to work out. Or if we do workout we give half the effort and it takes us twice as long to recover.

 We always advocate ensuring your sleep is of the highest quality and quantity before progressing to the next stage.

 Step #3 – Eliminate the Negatives

 Usually this has to do with food. You need to go through your fridge and pantry and throw out the processed foods, diet sodas, the refined sugars and anything else that doesn’t bring you closer to your goal.

 But besides food you need to cut ties with other negatives in your life. Maybe this is the relationship you’ve developed with your TV for 3 hours after work every night. Or the friends who aren’t into fitness but know where all the weekly beer and wing specials are.

 In other words, if it doesn’t bring you closer to your goal, eliminate it.

 Step #4 – Buy Quality Groceries

Learn how to fuel your body properly. Figure which foods contain which nutrients. And then buy the best quality you can.

 A couple more tips towards knowing which foods qualify as high quality:

 * they are food around the periphery of the grocery store

 * they will go bad if not eaten fairly soon

 * they have one word in their name

 Step #5 – Move Fast or Move Heavy

 Exercise. A minimum of 3 times per week. You either need to move fast or you need to lift heavy weights.

 Golfing is fun and takes 4 hours but doesn’t count. Nor does hiking. Or gardening. Or playing with your kids unless your kids weigh 200 lbs.

 Step #6 – Fill the Gaps

 This is the point where you might look at an omega-3 supplement. Or maybe you need to get a little more protein.

 This one is a little more specific to the individual, their goals and their ability to consume all the nutrients they require for optimal health and performance.

 Step #7 – Performance Boosters

 This is where I ‘may’ recommend sports supplements for athletes and individuals with specific training goals. And even with that we with the more proven and recognized ones such as creatine, whey protein, beta-alanine and a few others.

 If you notice these come way down the list after you should have eliminated all the crap from your diet, fuelled up on the best quality nutrition and attained a high enough level of competition to justify supplement with any of these substances.

 Step 8 – Alternative Methods

 Here’s where the chg. Diet should rank for most people. Why at this stage?

 Because most people don’t do a complete job of #1-7.

 But here’s where it can be unique.

 Sometimes there are very unique circumstances where nothing else has worked. Sometimes you have individuals who are not able to move, for whatever reason, to create a caloric deficit and lose weight. And sometimes there are those who are simply in a position where they can afford to follow this protocol, which works, and realize the results it offers.

 I know intent can sometimes be lost in the written word.

 And so I want to clear that this opinion is simply just that. There are unique circumstances to every situation and as fitness professional I need to be sensitive to this fact. But at the same time I want the best for everyone we work and I believe following these 7 steps, in this order, allows for the greatest chance of long term weight loss.

 As always, I open and willing to consider any critique or commentary.

 Chris                                                                                                                                                                                      okanaganpeakperformance.com