HCG diet SUPPORT thread - Page 78

[an_aurora]

Oh wow, hi!!  My two youngest were home births and Scarlett was born in Washington :)  It's a good birthday isn't it!  

I'm on VLCD13 and I've been stuck at 147 for 5 days now.  I know it's because I haven't been very good about following the protocol :(  DH is out of town working all summer and I am a stress eater... But today when I was getting in the shower I noticed holy heck, my tummy is way smaller.  That 6 pounds made a really big difference.  It was a great extra boost of confidence and today I'm bound and determined to stick to my protocol!  

[Denali]

Quote:

Originally Posted by an_aurora

I am a stress eater 

Oh yes, me too. Stress eater, mood eater (I need FOOD when I'm not happy ), and unfortunately my cravings are all for unhealthy things, such as sweets and carbs.

But I've been soooo good with this diet, I haven't cheated one single time. Not even when my son was eating ice cream right in front of me....and didn't finish his portion (major temptation there LOL)

I'm on VLCD12 and have lost 20 lbs. I think the weight goes faster if the starting weight was high. It'll be interesting to see where we'll end up

Good luck to you

[Maiasaura]

I have been gaining weight to the tune of....I dunno, a lot. I'm up like 7.6lbs from May 8th, when I threw caution to the wind early into P3, and ate that bean soup and cheese sandwich. I haven't gotten back on track yet, no matter how little carbs I eat. Yesterday I tried really hard to go very low carb-- I ate only 10g all day-- and I'm only 0.2 down from the day before. This is SO, so frustrating. I can't go back into P2 now because...well, I could, but it'd have to be a very short one, like 2 weeks, and I want to do it right. So I will have to wait till like July 10th but I'm afraid of what will happen weight wise between now and then! I don't want to gain a half a pound a day for a month!

[Panserbjorne]

I think that the hardest part of this diet is that you can't cheat.  the ramifications of cheating extend far beyond what you think they will.  I'm so sorry.

[PJsmomma]

So true that cheating just wrecks this diet.

I've learned that all this hard work is just so not worth cheating!

Denali-welcome! I've been doing homeopathic drops since last year--well last May I did RX and didn't feel comfortable doing that. Found the D140 in July and have been working through rounds since then.

I've lost 142 lbs since Jan 2010--only 20 on Weight Watchers and the rest on HCG--it's definitely a lot of work but it gets easier. I've learned so much about my food habits and bad thinking on this diet. It confronts you like no other diet.

I've got about 40 lbs to lose still and am hoping to get there somewhere this summer:). I"m just on day 3 of another VLC phase so we'll see what this round brings:).

Panserbjorne--are you able to list the things you think people should be taking along with the drops? You mentioned clay? what is that? What does it do? etc If you can't post brand names can you pm me whenever you have time?

Also does anyone get really dry skin on this? I have always and I know it's because of the limited fat. But I get a dry scaley patch on my face--right by my lips and this time it sprouted on Day 2;0!. It's just annoying and sometimes looks like I've been drinking koolaid;).

I've been putting Calendula ointment on it the past couple days and that seems to help.

Just wondering if I'm the only one or any thoughts:)

Thanks all!

[PJsmomma]

Oh my "honey" mustard sauce is

mustard

onion powder

garlic (I prefer fresh)

stevia

pepper to taste

stir up and dip celery in it or whatever --good with chicken:)..

If I want it as salad dressing I just add water until it's thin enough--I wouldn't add ACV because mustard is pretty acidic/vinegary in the 1st place!

[Maiasaura]

Well, to my credit, I've never cheated on P2, or in P3 till this time. I was on P3 like 2 weeks, I think, when I had the soup and sandwich. Now it's been a month almost. Crazy. I didn't really consider it a cheat at the time, since I'd been in P3 a couple of weeks, and it was a conscious decision. I figured, at the time, that I had wiggle room and would take it right back off, or would just stabilize a couple pounds higher, and I was willing to accept that. NEVER did I think I'd gain and gain and gain for a month.

So I've been VERY low carbing it, and I'm down 1.2 this morning, but I'm not counting any chickens yet. I've been reading Taubes' book and it does stand to reason why I'm gaining with no provocation. Supposedly it'll take a couple of WEEKS before my body wants to use fat as fuel, so at least...while it's not encouraging that I need to stay <10g carbs a day for weeks, at least I know it's something my body is adjusting to, and it's temporary (hopefully), and like the VLCDs, I can do this if there's an end to it.

I'll probably be back in P2 around the 10th of July. Cross fingers till then!

[an_aurora]

That's great it's starting to come back off!
I finally broke the five day plateau or whatever it was and I'm down 1.4 lbs in two days! Yay! I see a big difference so far, even though I'm just down 7 lbs. I really want to lose another 7 lbs at least, but I only have another week with the planned 21 day cycle. Is it ok to extend? Do I need to skip a day of drops or anything?

Those that have never cheated, wow!! I am amazed at your willpower. I was won over quite easily by the girls' s'mores

[Denali]

Originally Posted by PJsmomma 

Also does anyone get really dry skin on this? I have always and I know it's because of the limited fat. But I get a dry scaley patch on my face--right by my lips and this time it sprouted on Day 2;0!. It's just annoying and sometimes looks like I've been drinking koolaid;).

I've been putting Calendula ointment on it the past couple days and that seems to help.

Just wondering if I'm the only one or any thoughts:)

I have a problem with dry lips and with the skin on elbows and heels. I am assuming chapstick isn't allowed, and I have no idea what I could put on elbows/heels that would really help and not have oils etc. The elbows especially are hurting......But that's it, no other dry skin patches.

Originally Posted by PJsmomma 

Oh my "honey" mustard sauce is

[...]

If I want it as salad dressing I just add water until it's thin enough--I wouldn't add ACV because mustard is pretty acidic/vinegary in the 1st place!

Thanks for the recipe. I guess that's what I was doing wrong, using mustard AND ACV. I tried it three times, and it never came out right.

I'm down 22 lbs...VLCD 14.

Good luck with the stabilizing, Maiasaurus......it must have been so frustrating to see the scale go higher and higher. I'm glad it's finally coming off again.
 

Oh, and I'm also interested in things that could help with this (the clay that was mentioned? and whatever else.....any advice is appreciated )

[memama]

I'm on day 31 of P2 and am down 21 pounds using homeopathic HCG. Very pleased! 

I'd like to lose at least another 25 pounds. I'm doing fine on the diet and don't feel compelled to move into P3 when I finish this 40 day round. Do I understand correctly that I can continue for as long as I want on P2? I seem to recall Mary saying a few pages back that she did an 80 day round of P2. 

[mary3mama]

Originally Posted by memama 

I'm on day 31 of P2 and am down 21 pounds using homeopathic HCG. Very pleased! 

I'd like to lose at least another 25 pounds. I'm doing fine on the diet and don't feel compelled to move into P3 when I finish this 40 day round. Do I understand correctly that I can continue for as long as I want on P2? I seem to recall Mary saying a few pages back that she did an 80 day round of P2. 

Yay on your losses!

Yep, that's probably what I said.

I just finished my longest P2 round -- 92 days.

I am not recommending hyper-long P2 -- just reporting what I did.

I did use homeopathic hcg for all my rounds. I hypothesize that we don't necessarily hit the point of immunity with homeopathic that the good Dr.S found with his injections decades ago (of course it might also be that the hcg is of better quality, in all of its forms then it was then.)

I have to say, though, that now that I know more about the nature of our metabolisms, insulin response, insulin resistance and hyperinsulimia, I would have done things differently. I highly recommend the book by Gary Taubes: How we get fat and what we can do about it. That's what Maia referenced above. (Not that I wouldn't do hcg -- I would -- I just understand the metabolic processes better now and would have approached my carb intake differently.)

So, while I do believe it has been safe and healing for MY BODY to do such a long homeopathic-assisted hcg round....I wouldn't do it again. 

Right now I am experimenting with doing P3 & beyond by following the 'diet' set out in the appendix of the Taubes book. It is VERY hcg friendly. Basically it is geared towards keeping one's carbs below 20g/day. One can and should eat plenty of healthy fats and protein -- to the point of satiation, but no further. Additionally one should get lots of greens and other low-carb veggies while staying below that 20g mark (which is pretty easy, actually.) And, here's the rub for some -- no fruit. At least in the beginning.

So far, so good.

I am stable.

Something with which I have struggled in all my P3 rounds (and the reason why I've done LONG P2 rounds --- I hated figuring out the stabilizing.)

I may yet do another P2 round in the fall -- but I will keep it short. Until then I'm trying to focus on maintaining and enjoying!

peace,

Mary

[amybw]

 Hello, thought I'd join this thread. I have been reading it for a couple of months now.

I am on P2 day 16. I plan to go at least 28 days.

Anyone here take a break during your time of the month?

I have been reading a few different places and it seems that some dont take the drops and some do.....

so

Anyway, thanks all for starting and continuing this thread. It is very helpful!

[PJsmomma]

Thanks for the info on the book--I'll look that up. The Beck Diet Solution is my fave. It's not a diet but attacks our bad thinking! Really works!

Welcome Amybw  no on homeopathic you don't take a break.
 

Wow 92 days;0 somewhere around 30 I hit a wall and just need ph 3. How much did you lose after your 1st 30 days? I'm just curious--you went another 60 so I'm interested to know how much you lost in that 60 days.

[dalia]

Hello again, ladies. Been gone for a while but back now and on my first day of loading. Man i'm stuffed...

I have a question- has anyone done the hhcg while on hypothyroid meds? I'm on levoxyl and t3 and was just wondering if there is anything I should know...

[Maiasaura]

Well, like I said, glad to not count chickens...up a pound again. Ugh. I'm still trying to stay rather low-carbish. I haven't any grocery money till somewhere between the 15th and 20th, which is actually good because I am forced to be out of yogurt and cheeses and other things I'd be glomming. Now I'm forced to pretty much stick to meats, fowls, fishes, eggs, and heavy cream

[kerpav]

Hi everyone!  I am back after not posting here for a few months. I've had my ups and downs with this program, but where I really went astray was in April. I did a 30 day round and had moderate losses in March, then was on P3 for just one week before leaving for Europe...nuff said! After a few days of trying to stick to P3 foods only, I started adding too many carbs (way too much bread and cheese!) and came back after 2 weeks with a 5 lb gain. THEN I resolved to go right back on when I got home, but kept starting and stalling because of unexpected visits, stressful or unpredictable events, etc. that would somehow make me mess up P2.

I found doing P2 in the colder months so much easier, because I was indoors so much with much less of a social life. The last time I went back on P2 (just 2 weeks ago) I didn't even load first, and then ended up going off after only a week.

Anyway, now I am 4 lbs up from when I got back from Europe. Ugh. I am now on day 2 of loading (and doing it RIGHT this time) and am resolved to keep on the plan for 30 days. I'll keep checking in here for inspiration and moral support!

The big picture: since last October I am down 23 lbs even with all of these mess ups. So that's a good thing. I just hope I really haven't messed up my metabolism and/or created some kind of immunity with the hcg (I'm using homeopathic).

Maiasaura, I read your recent posts about your steady gains in P3--that sucks! I felt that happening to me, too, but I went of P3 way before I should have so I really don't have an excuse. Hope you can identify the culprit foods and figure out a way to happily maintain your weight. I know that will be my end goal!

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by kerpav Maiasaura, I read your recent posts about your steady gains in P3--that sucks! I felt that happening to me, too, but I went of P3 way before I should have so I really don't have an excuse. Hope you can identify the culprit foods and figure out a way to happily maintain your weight. I know that will be my end goal!

Welcome back, kerpav! Yeah...I do seem to have stabilized, somewhat, some 7-1/2lbs above my lowest weight. I really am not happy about being that much higher, but if I can just hold steady until July, I'll be back in P2 around the 12th. I just don't have any wiggle room at the moment.

Reading Taubes' book (Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, I do believe it's called) and it's very illuminating, I already knew what he's saying, especially since I took Anatomy & Physiology twice, and the last time I point blank asked the teacher to clarify about the carbs-- I said, so what you're saying is carbs make us fat? And he said yep. I pretty much already knew it, but that cemented it, plus this book...y'all really ought to read this. Srsly. I am 51yo and my mom was born in 1936, and she raised me as a child with things like don't eat so much potatoes and bread, too much starch, and that was about the last of the generations that were fed that (no pun intended ) but they were right!

Taubes cites evidence that for at least 200 years, we've known that carby things make us fatter. For some reason our society, govt, the whole public, has bought into that carbs = heart health = good for you, and dietary fat = heart ill health= bad.

I think it's mostly about money-- I had totally forgotten that our govt subsidizes the corn, wheat, and soy industry to the tune of some $20 million a year (I think that's the right number, but it's a LOT). Follow the almighty dollar-- at the expense of public health. You know what-- that's fundamentally unconstitutional; it doesn't promote the general welfare. We oughtta sue

Anyway, I'm around 156.4 or so. I was down as low as 148.6 but haven't seen that since May 8th.

[kerpav]

I'll have to look for that book in the library, Maiasaura. Sounds very interesting. I am sure you are on the right track with the connection between the power of the agro industry and the push for carbs in the American diet.  And I know for me when I eat P3 strictly I just maintain with ease. I am hoping that I'll be able to identify particular foods that make me pack on pounds so quickly---do you find that it's more bread/rice/pasta for you? Or sugary stuff? What about fruit? I found when I added all types of fruit on P3 it didn't affect my weight--it happened when I basically stopped limiting anything in particular (this was both rounds in P3) Just wondering what you suspect it might be for you.  

So here I am Day 1 VLCD, and after loading weighed 154.2 this morning. Guess I did the loading thing right this time! Ate tons of almonds, avocadoes, cheese...Before loading I was 149.0. I am hoping it's going to help me get through these first hard days on P2, and beyond. It sucks to be back in the 150s, but I know it won't be for long. Gotta keep focused!

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by kerpav I'll have to look for that book in the library, Maiasaura. Sounds very interesting. I am sure you are on the right track with the connection between the power of the agro industry and the push for carbs in the American diet.  And I know for me when I eat P3 strictly I just maintain with ease. I am hoping that I'll be able to identify particular foods that make me pack on pounds so quickly---do you find that it's more bread/rice/pasta for you? Or sugary stuff? What about fruit? I found when I added all types of fruit on P3 it didn't affect my weight--it happened when I basically stopped limiting anything in particular (this was both rounds in P3) Just wondering what you suspect it might be for you. 

So here I am Day 1 VLCD, and after loading weighed 154.2 this morning. Guess I did the loading thing right this time! Ate tons of almonds, avocadoes, cheese...Before loading I was 149.0. I am hoping it's going to help me get through these first hard days on P2, and beyond. It sucks to be back in the 150s, but I know it won't be for long. Gotta keep focused!

It does suck to be back in the 150s!! Though, I have to stay grateful...I'm not in the 180s anymore.

Hmm...I haven't tried any bread/rice/pasta yet. The thing that pushed me back into the 150s was a meal of Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup and a grilled cheese sandwich on good bread. On May the 8th. I was up 3lbs the next day and I figured it was worth the discrepancy and it would come right back off with low-carb eating. Well, it didn't. My weight continued to rise. I've rather stabilized around 156ish, but it's a delicate dance now.

I am coming to the conclusion that for whatever reason, my body is MORE sensitive to anything carby at the moment, including fruit. So I'm kind of limiting most everything and trying to keep carbs (at all) under 25ish grams per day. Under 20 if I can.

Trying to include, for what carbs I do eat, nutrient-dense veggies...but I'm still figuring it all out.

I realized-- and if this, srsly, is the best benefit of this diet, I'm down with that-- is that I'm finally pretty much not craving sweets anymore. Well, I do-- but not refined carbs, not sugary things and not pasta or breads anymore at all. I'm fine with not eating them and I don't even want them, which is a miracle.

I don't even want ice cream, if you can believe that; ice cream and Hershey's syrup have always been my demon-foods. My I-can't-help-myself foods. I could easily eat a half of a half gallon in one sitting, no problem. Not now. I'll have a spoonful now and then, and that's all. I mean, I can count the three spoonfuls of ice cream that I've had since May 1st, and two of those were in the first week.

And chocolate! I haven't really wanted that in forever, either. I do wonder (but a passing wonder-- it's just a thought that I let float by now and then) if I could handle a very small bite of really good extra-dark chocolate. I bet I would appreciate it a lot more now, to have a small bite and savor it, than before when I could glom a whole bunch down. I just don't want to tempt the sugar load, even with a small bite.

Mostly if I am craving (or wanting) something sweet now, I can get by with a couple of frozen blueberries. Or a slurp of heavy cream. Or I made these popsicles out of whipped heavy cream, stevia, and a bit of fruit, then froze them into 2oz popsicles Sometimes I can eat two or three in a sitting, but usually I don't. Or yogurt, but I'm limiting that some at the moment to see if it keeps my weight down.

It's an interesting journey, that's for sure.

Oh, btw-- the Taubes' book is new, so it's on the New Arrivals part of the library, if your library separates them that way.

[Sharlla]

started a new round but doing skip days.  Phase 3 will be on august 10th.  i want to lose the last 25ish lbs so I'll see where I get.  right now I'm 153 down from 250