SIMEONS HCG PROTOCOL -APRIL2010

[Samantha42]

Gracie-- Thanks for the input! So far today I've had:

3 eggs scrambled in 1.5 TB butter, 3-4 oz cheddar, 4 oz walnuts
2 Lindt 85% squares


Maybe I'll run to cheesecake factory and get 2 slices of their lowcarb cheesecake with whipped cream and strawberries-- gotta be what, at least 1500 calories right there. I'm trying, I swear

Gained a pound from yesterday morning, but also worked out and lifted weights. So not a huge gain.

I'm not going to carb up with my gorge... I just can't. It will be so hard for me to start VLCD #1 tomorrow if I do... I'm a ravenous beast then!


I also wanted to ask you guys something--- so May 10th will be day 22 of hcg (day 20 of VLCD/effective doses). That day I'm leaving for Costa Rica. I wish my hcg came earlier, but umm, US customs made that impossible... so yeah. I didn't want to start after my trip. When do you guys think I should stop the HCG? Should I just do my 20 effective doses then stop, trying to do VLCD x3 the first 3 days I'm in Costa Rica, or take a 10 day break and jump right back in, etc. What do yo think my viable options are?


You guys are all so inspiring and doing so well! I hope you're all right about my boob size and the bridesmaid dress! I'm nervous as could be right now.

This is the only thread I'm following right now.... because you guys all seem so great! Looking forward to posting here.

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by kerbear879

The only reason I don't use the HWC is that it is unbearbly rich to me! I much prefer half and half..didn't think it would be an issue as it does not have added sugar and is a natural sugar..but if it makes me gain then I will not use it. Thanks for the heads up!

Need some advice though..

My boss is taking us to PF Chang's tomorrow for admin professional's day. I've scoured their menu and nutrional info and am completely baffled as to what to get. It does say you can get anything without sauce so I am thinking I should be okay to order like the pepper beef with no sauce or rice..it's just beef with peppers. What do you guys think? It's gonna be my first day of P3 so I don't want to screw anything up.

I've never been there so I don't really know the menu. Just keep it simple though. Can you order a salad with some kind of plain meat like steak? I believe it's Chinese food right? That's gonna be tricky! You definitely do not want to eat sugar/starch for these 3 weeks so be extra careful.

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by Samantha42

Gracie-- Thanks for the input! So far today I've had:

3 eggs scrambled in 1.5 TB butter, 3-4 oz cheddar, 4 oz walnuts
2 Lindt 85% squares


Maybe I'll run to cheesecake factory and get 2 slices of their lowcarb cheesecake with whipped cream and strawberries-- gotta be what, at least 1500 calories right there. I'm trying, I swear

Gained a pound from yesterday morning, but also worked out and lifted weights. So not a huge gain.

I'm not going to carb up with my gorge... I just can't. It will be so hard for me to start VLCD #1 tomorrow if I do... I'm a ravenous beast then!


I also wanted to ask you guys something--- so May 10th will be day 22 of hcg (day 20 of VLCD/effective doses). That day I'm leaving for Costa Rica. I wish my hcg came earlier, but umm, US customs made that impossible... so yeah. I didn't want to start after my trip. When do you guys think I should stop the HCG? Should I just do my 20 effective doses then stop, trying to do VLCD x3 the first 3 days I'm in Costa Rica, or take a 10 day break and jump right back in, etc. What do yo think my viable options are?


You guys are all so inspiring and doing so well! I hope you're all right about my boob size and the bridesmaid dress! I'm nervous as could be right now.

This is the only thread I'm following right now.... because you guys all seem so great! Looking forward to posting here.

You need to get in 21 effective hcg doses before doing an interruption. Effective means with the vlcd's. I'm sorry but I don't have any advice because it's never happened to me! I'd be afraid of gaining it all back

[Victrola]

You know, I'd like to know if anyone else feels like I do, that is, one reason I think this could work for me is that, to be honest, I'm SICK of food. It doesn't even taste that great anymore more often than not, even though I still gobble it down. It will almost be a relief to need to barely eat anything for awhile - I'm really wanting that "reset." I want a do-over, a reboot!

[duece49424]

Vic - exactly...I was more than ready to prove to myself that I could be successful at something, and the limited food really helped. I'm actually afraid of starting P3 next Tuesday...I should be excited with more food options, but I'm afraid of setting off a craving or binging. I just take it day by day, and be prepared, that has what has helped me.

[shebasmudder]

Evening ladies ! It's been a busy day but I am still holding at 215.4. Hoping for releases and bernice tomorrow !

Thanks for the review of the George Foreman grill ! I got a tiny one today for $15 and can't wait to use it !

Susan - WOW ! 30 lbs !! That's fantastic !!

[wishbone]

Originally Posted by Gracie514

No, on induction you are only allowed very minimal (less than 10 g) carbs and one cup of veggies per day. On P3 you are allowed to eat anything except sugar or starch. You can eat veggies til you're blue in the face - you can have berries, apples, etc. - things you cannot have on induction. You can have sour cream, cream cheese, regular cheese, - also not on induction. You want to stay away from real sugar products but you can have sugar-free products like the ones made with splenda. You want to avoid high sugar/starch fruits & veggies like bananas, potatoes, etc. No pasta, rice, breads. It's really not like induction at all. Here's my typical P3 menu.

B: 3 egg omelet with HWC & cheddar cheese with sour cream
L: big salad with grilled chicken, bleu cheese, bacon & tons of veggies
D: any meat grilled with a veggie/butter and salad
Snacks: berries mixed with sour cream/splenda, Atkins bars (sometimes)

Thanks Gracie...question #2...
What is the "max" days that one should do on say....R1 of the drops? Then...what would the VERY next step be? I mean, do you continue and "just call it R2? Or is there a time period of P3 involved...and then back to R2? (which in my mind would be a repeat of R1). And then...would there be more of those "loading days"? Or, is that simply a 1X deal...LOL?
Am I making sense?

[LADYBUG]

Hello all, I haven't been on here for a very long time. But I've still been doing the diet. I'm now down almost 100lbs. I can't wait to join the 100 club. I've got about 2 weeks left of this round and I'm having a hard time keeping my head in the game. I just keep thinking about all the things that I want to be eating. I haven't cheated and I'm not going to. I have been playing around with the same 10-15lbs with the last three rounds that I've done. I gain about 10lbs every time I start into P4. I'm not going to do that anymore so I've decided to start cycling. I'm going to do three weeks on and two weeks off until I get this last 75-80lbs off. I've been doing HCG for almost a year and I really want to be done.
I figure by the end of this year I should be to my goal weight and I can work on stabilizing. Which I'm hoping won't be as hard as it's been between each round. I don't know why I seem to have so much trouble. But anyway I'm rambling.

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by LADYBUG

Hello all, I haven't been on here for a very long time. But I've still been doing the diet. I'm now down almost 100lbs. I can't wait to join the 100 club. I've got about 2 weeks left of this round and I'm having a hard time keeping my head in the game. I just keep thinking about all the things that I want to be eating. I haven't cheated and I'm not going to. I have been playing around with the same 10-15lbs with the last three rounds that I've done. I gain about 10lbs every time I start into P4. I'm not going to do that anymore so I've decided to start cycling. I'm going to do three weeks on and two weeks off until I get this last 75-80lbs off. I've been doing HCG for almost a year and I really want to be done.
I figure by the end of this year I should be to my goal weight and I can work on stabilizing. Which I'm hoping won't be as hard as it's been between each round. I don't know why I seem to have so much trouble. But anyway I'm rambling.

KUTGW!! you can do this you have done so well but boy do i know about looking at food!! this last round i avidly watched the food network everyDAY!

[Samantha42]

Originally Posted by Gracie514

I'd be afraid of gaining it all back

I'm terrified, actually. I don't know what else to do, though... could I do P3 for 10 days, then come home and start again? The directions on interruptions confused me a little bit... but I'm really scared either way.

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by Samantha42

I'm terrified, actually. I don't know what else to do, though... could I do P3 for 10 days, then come home and start again? The directions on interruptions confused me a little bit... but I'm really scared either way.

yup do exactly that my interruption last time did me a world of good(mentally physically everything i have vulvar vestibulitits and P2 aggravates it something fierce that break let me continue on to a total of 32 dosing days that round) you might gain a few on it but my 11 pound gain came off in2 days AND took quite a few of their friends with them the rest of the week!

[Samantha42]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

yup do exactly that my interruption last time did me a world of good(mentally physically everything i have vulvar vestibulitits and P2 aggravates it something fierce that break let me continue on to a total of 32 dosing days that round) you might gain a few on it but my 11 pound gain came off in2 days AND took quite a few of their friends with them the rest of the week!

I you. So I just pick back up when I get home and start dosing-- til I total something <40 days. No gorging, I assume.

[Samantha42]

Ugh, I feel like I gorged and may vomit. Okay, not really. Just had a huge salad with chicken salad on it... plus ridic amounts of walnuts and cheest, ranch.

And now beer.

It's weird that I can't wait to be VLC tomorrow. I think part of how gorging works is that you're just so sick of food, and feeling drained, that all you can handle is about nothing.

Also, I'm not going to do the melba toast or grissini-- wheat/grains and I do not get along. Linda Prinster's book said that the bread and/or fruit may be eliminated if you aren't getting the results you want, and I think Simeons is outdated in that sense. No way do I think eating bread of any form is healthy. But it may help people feel satisfied and more energized from the sheer carbs of it.

Do any of you guys do hcg without the bread products?

[LADYBUG]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

KUTGW!! you can do this you have done so well but boy do i know about looking at food!! this last round i avidly watched the food network everyDAY!

I have a hard time with that one. I have had to stop watching the food network. But I record a lot of shows that have recipes. lol At least when I look at them I think of how I could change it to fit in the P3 diet.
I got down to 197.4 on my LIW from my last round and I'm working on getting to that again. I think I can lose to 193 on this round and then with the short off time I should be able to go right back into it without gaining and keep going down. I think my problem is that I haven't been below 200 in over 23 years and my body just doesn't want to give it up. I just keep telling myself that I'm stronger than my body and I can do this!!

[LADYBUG]

Originally Posted by Samantha42

Do any of you guys do hcg without the bread products?

I very seldom use the bread sticks. If I really need something to munch on I might get one and eat it very slowly. But other than that I have two boxes of grissini that I bought on the first round and I'm on about round five or six and I still am using the same two boxes.

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by Samantha42

I you. So I just pick back up when I get home and start dosing-- til I total something <40 days. No gorging, I assume.

i think if your interruption is less than 21 days yup no loading just start dosing again and right back on VLCD maybe take your first dose the night before your first vlcd back?? might help with hunger issues the first day

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

yup do exactly that my interruption last time did me a world of good(mentally physically everything i have vulvar vestibulitits and P2 aggravates it something fierce that break let me continue on to a total of 32 dosing days that round) you might gain a few on it but my 11 pound gain came off in2 days AND took quite a few of their friends with them the rest of the week!

ETA ~ I will check P&I and see what he says about interruptions. BB

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

i think if your interruption is less than 21 days yup no loading just start dosing again and right back on VLCD maybe take your first dose the night before your first vlcd back?? might help with hunger issues the first day

"Unforeseen Interruptions of Treatment"

"If an interruption of treatment lasting more than four days is necessary, the patient must increase his diet to at least 800 calories by adding meat, eggs, cheese, and milk to his diet after the second day, as otherwise he will find himself so hungry and weak that he is unable to go about his usual occupation. If the interval asts less than two weeks the patient can directly resume injections and the 500-calorie diet, but if the interruption lasts longer he must again eat normally until he has had his second dose.

When a patient knows beforehand that he will have to travel and be absent for more than four days, it is always better to stop doses 3 days before he is due to leave so that he can have the 3 days of strict dieting which are necessary after the lost dose at home. This save him from the almost impossible task of having to arrange the 500 calorie diet when en route, and he can thus enjoy a much greater dietary freedom fromthe day of his departure. Interruption occuring before 20 effective doses are most undesirable, because with less than that number of doses some weight is liable to be regained. After the 20th dose an unavoidable interruption is merely a loss of time. "

So, she would indeed just start right back at the 500 calorie diet after vacation. He doesn't say she can't do an interruption before 20 doses but that it's undesirable and some weight will probably be regained. I guess it's just a personal choice - I think if you are careful and follow P3 rules you will be okay.

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by Samantha42

Ugh, I feel like I gorged and may vomit. Okay, not really. Just had a huge salad with chicken salad on it... plus ridic amounts of walnuts and cheest, ranch.

And now beer.

It's weird that I can't wait to be VLC tomorrow. I think part of how gorging works is that you're just so sick of food, and feeling drained, that all you can handle is about nothing.

Also, I'm not going to do the melba toast or grissini-- wheat/grains and I do not get along. Linda Prinster's book said that the bread and/or fruit may be eliminated if you aren't getting the results you want, and I think Simeons is outdated in that sense. No way do I think eating bread of any form is healthy. But it may help people feel satisfied and more energized from the sheer carbs of it.

Do any of you guys do hcg without the bread products?

I eat both bread servings each day with no problem losing. I have read that if you don't use them you may have trouble because you will become sensitive to starches in your lifetime maintenance?? I am doing this so I can eat normally when it's all said and done - that includes some breads, starches, etc. On my last P4 I was able to eat sugar/starch without gaining because I believe my hypothalamus was reset to my new weight. I don't think anything in Dr. Simeons protocol is outdated - it works if you follow it!!

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by wishbone

Thanks Gracie...question #2...
What is the "max" days that one should do on say....R1 of the drops? Then...what would the VERY next step be? I mean, do you continue and "just call it R2? Or is there a time period of P3 involved...and then back to R2? (which in my mind would be a repeat of R1). And then...would there be more of those "loading days"? Or, is that simply a 1X deal...LOL?
Am I making sense?

You should first download "Pounds & Inches" from Dr. Simeons and read it thoroughly so you understand the protocol. After your Phase 2 which is the very low calorie days you do a Phase 3 which is 21 days of no sugar/ no starches. Then you do Phase 4 which is maintenance and slowly adding back sugar/starches for 21 days. Then you can start another round. HTH

[pennylovesdarren]

Gracie~ You are so helpful! I have P&I and it's my new bff

R1P2vlcd2 207.5 release of 1.5 lbs. Good! I hope to be in onederland next week.
I was at about 480 calories yesterday. I had albacore tuna for dinner. I haven't had a chance to cook up a bunch of chicken but soon. I normally have today off but I'm working 12 hours then I'm off the next four days. Yay! I'm kind of tired. TOM being here doesn't help.

Hi to everyone! Have a great releasing day!

[kerbear879]

Originally Posted by pennylovesdarren

Gracie~ You are so helpful! I have P&I and it's my new bff

R1P2vlcd2 207.5 release of 1.5 lbs. Good! I hope to be in onederland next week.
I was at about 480 calories yesterday. I had albacore tuna for dinner. I haven't had a chance to cook up a bunch of chicken but soon. I normally have today off but I'm working 12 hours then I'm off the next four days. Yay! I'm kind of tired. TOM being here doesn't help.

Hi to everyone! Have a great releasing day!

Great release! Keep at it!

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by LADYBUG

I very seldom use the bread sticks. If I really need something to munch on I might get one and eat it very slowly. But other than that I have two boxes of grissini that I bought on the first round and I'm on about round five or six and I still am using the same two boxes.

Great losses! I was wondering if you think that by not using the grissini or melba toast could be why you are gaining in P4? Maybe you are becoming carb sensitive because you are not using them while in P2. Just a random thought but I have heard that this happens and that's why Dr. Simeons has the bread in the protocol.

[pennylovesdarren]

Thank Kerri!

[shebasmudder]

Good morning, everyone ! I am still holding at 215.4 for the 3rd day now. TOM is expected perhaps today, my tummy feels crampy but I will take an ibuprofen in a sec. I usually gain 3 pounds before TOM so I am still hoping for great releases when he leaves.

Penny - you are making great progress right off the bat !

[kerbear879]

Today is first day of P3. My LIW is 199.1 and today was 199.6.

It was weird to wake up this morning and know that I can eat..I actually didn't know what to have for breakfast. Since I want cheese more than eggs, I am adding the cheese in first. So I had some regular cottage cheese and some strawberries for breakfast. I did cottage cheese a few times on P2 with no issues so I figured that was safe to start with.

Finally figured out what to get at PF Chang's for lunch today. Turns out they will make your food with no sauce added which is where the sugar and starches are so I will get some steak with no sauce and a side of spinach with garlic which is just spinach sauteed in oil and garlic. It's the safest thing I could come up with.

Probably gonna have a salad with the shredded chicken I made yesterday and some avocado and bacon and all the veggies..I attempted to make ranch dressing but didn't care for the way it came out so guess my dressing will just be olive oil and vinegar..I missed my olive oil!

Overall, I don't think it's too bad of a start for P3. I was thinking of adding eggs in either tomorrow or friday.

[kerbear879]

Originally Posted by Gracie514

Great losses! I was wondering if you think that by not using the grissini or melba toast could be why you are gaining in P4? Maybe you are becoming carb sensitive because you are not using them while in P2. Just a random thought but I have heard that this happens and that's why Dr. Simeons has the bread in the protocol.

That could be true..I ate my grissini pretty much every day on P2..Sometimes I would forget to eat it at dinner but pretty much always ate it for lunch. I know people are afraid of them because they think they cannot lose with it but I think it's good to have it at least once a day so you don't become carb sensitive.

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by pennylovesdarren

Gracie~ You are so helpful! I have P&I and it's my new bff

R1P2vlcd2 207.5 release of 1.5 lbs. Good! I hope to be in onederland next week.
I was at about 480 calories yesterday. I had albacore tuna for dinner. I haven't had a chance to cook up a bunch of chicken but soon. I normally have today off but I'm working 12 hours then I'm off the next four days. Yay! I'm kind of tired. TOM being here doesn't help.

Hi to everyone! Have a great releasing day!

Awesome!!! The first week of P2 is always the best - great losses each day!!! I've never had tuna on protocol - do you just eat it plain?

[kerbear879]

Originally Posted by stinastina

Good morning, everyone ! I am still holding at 215.4 for the 3rd day now. TOM is expected perhaps today, my tummy feels crampy but I will take an ibuprofen in a sec. I usually gain 3 pounds before TOM so I am still hoping for great releases when he leaves.

Penny - you are making great progress right off the bat !

I am sure your little stall has to do with TOM. I bet you will start losing again as soon as it comes and goes! Hang in there!

[Gracie514]

Originally Posted by stinastina

Good morning, everyone ! I am still holding at 215.4 for the 3rd day now. TOM is expected perhaps today, my tummy feels crampy but I will take an ibuprofen in a sec. I usually gain 3 pounds before TOM so I am still hoping for great releases when he leaves.

Penny - you are making great progress right off the bat !

I'm sure once TOM comes you'll have a nice loss - it's most like water weight.

Originally Posted by kerbear879

Today is first day of P3. My LIW is 199.1 and today was 199.6.

It was weird to wake up this morning and know that I can eat..I actually didn't know what to have for breakfast. Since I want cheese more than eggs, I am adding the cheese in first. So I had some regular cottage cheese and some strawberries for breakfast. I did cottage cheese a few times on P2 with no issues so I figured that was safe to start with.

Finally figured out what to get at PF Chang's for lunch today. Turns out they will make your food with no sauce added which is where the sugar and starches are so I will get some steak with no sauce and a side of spinach with garlic which is just spinach sauteed in oil and garlic. It's the safest thing I could come up with.

Probably gonna have a salad with the shredded chicken I made yesterday and some avocado and bacon and all the veggies..I attempted to make ranch dressing but didn't care for the way it came out so guess my dressing will just be olive oil and vinegar..I missed my olive oil!

Overall, I don't think it's too bad of a start for P3. I was thinking of adding eggs in either tomorrow or friday.

Sounds like a great plan for lunch. Oh how I LOVE P3!!! Keep it simple and you'll be fine. Try mixing sour cream with splenda and dipping berries in it - OMG it's AWESOME!!!!