First time trying the HCG Diet

[alexa_188]

Hello Everyone.
I am going to be starting Intermountain HCG Oral drops here in the next 2 weeks. (I'm going on vacation so I have to put it off one more week). I was hoping to gain some insight into what this product is about and the change I am about to commit to. I have read numerous threads, countless advice columns and personal success stories.
My drops were ordered through netrition and I wasn't sure if the drops would come with instructions/manual of how to go about this. I have downloaded the pounds and inches book and will read it over the next couple weeks. If anyone has any advice or can tell me what all the phases are I would really appreciate it I've noticed there have been a lot of positive reviews about this brand imparticular....
My weight has always been a huge issue and inner demon I have yet to face head on. I've yo-yo dieted for many years and never felt truly happy in my own skin Now I am 22, the heaviest I have ever been and needing guidance. I pray to see the results many of you have had and I admire your courage and triumphs!!!

[paulabob]

Originally Posted by alexa_188

I've noticed there have been a lot of positive reviews about this brand imparticular....

I just ordered my drops from netrition too, although this is the first time I'm trying this brand. Have always heard great things.

Just remember to take the drops on your two loading days, and read the Pounds and Inches pdf file for the allowable foods. Stock up on broth and tea, it'll help you get thru the first couple days, when hunger is most common. You will do great I'm sure! I prefer to get all carbs eaten on the first day of loading...anything I'll miss, and just fat/protein load the second day. That way I don't have a gain after the first low calorie day, which I am prone to from the two day carb affect.

I'll be starting a fresh round September 10th.

[mysterious_5122]

Alexa,

Recently I had a friend want to go on plan and after she ordered her drops she sent me a pleading message to help her get the basics. I just copied and pasted my message (well most of it) hopefully this will help you. There's a ton of helpful great folks here with good information. Read and read often, there's always good updates!!!

I know some of this you already addressed, but I figured it couldn't hurt to say it again.

#1, Congratulations on taking the plunge!!! It's a great program and if you follow the rules you will have great results. There's a ton, ton, ton of information.

Here's the basics, I suggest after I give you them that you look up on the web and read through Dr. Simeons Pounds & Inches (it's a free PDF and it's everywhere). After you read through and absorb it, read it again and maybe one more time. Honestly there is so much useful information it's almost impossible to process it all in one quick read or even two.

DROPS:
Okay, here's the drop basics....I used the drops 3x a day (morning, mid-day and before dinner in the evening). 10 drops under the tongue, allow them to sit there at least 30 seconds (longer is better - it allows more of the product to absorb into the bloodstream) - after your time swallow whatever hasn't absorbed. The important thing is do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after you have your drops to give it time to get in your system. (Follow the directions for dosing that come with your brand - some of us had to adjust our dosage due to hunger so read up on that as well.)

FOODS:
As far as food goes, there are specific veggies & proteins that are allowed - the Pounds & Inches book explains them along with your allowable fruits (we love apples & oranges). I also bought Stevia drops from the website I bought the HCG, it's an allowable sweetner and I use it in all of my cooking recipes that call for sugar now.

Also, we made the commitment to avoid food and drinking situations to avoid temptation during the VLCD's because quite frankly I don't think we would have had the willpower to say no to food and drinks in social situations. If you plan to be social, be very careful about what you choose to eat and drink.

WEIGH-IN
You should get into the habit of weighing yourself at the same time everyday and if you have a gain be honest with yourself about anything you may have done that wasn't on the plan....this is most likely the culprit and you'll have to remove it from your routine until after you are done with the Phase 2. I also suggest measuring yourself and having some photos taken so you can see the before and after results...I didn't take pics and I really wish I would have. Measuring is important because you should be losing inches in your belly, butt, hips or anywhere you carry more of the flabby bad fat.

Here's the scoop on timing:

Days 1 & 2, are called "load days" - these two days are done while taking your drops but you eat high fat, high protein, high carb foods (basically, the worse foods that you would never eat on any diet). What this does is tells your body that you are getting ready for the "baby" (which hcg thinks you have in your body), then on day 3 you start the very low calorie days (VLCD). You will need to do a minimum of 21 VLCD days on the drops and then 2 days of VLCD without the drops. Depending on your goal and how much your body will allow you to use you can stay on the VLCD longer, but when you decide to finish you much give your body 2 days to get the hcg out of your system before you re-introduce fats and oils. You should drink no less than 2 liters of water every day during this and the next portion of the diet, more water = better consistent losses.

After you finish your VLCD's it's recommended you move into a low carb phase to last no less than 21 days, during this time you must avoid all breads, pastas, starches and sugar. At this point you should be working to maintain the weight you lost during the VLCD's (called Phase 2 - P2). Most of the good information I found was just reading through the HCG forum on LowCarbFriends.com - Weight Loss Support. I'll give you some of the good links at the bottom, you can also google HCG forums and see what else is out there, I went through some but none of them had as supportive people as lowcarbfriends did.

Finally, after you finish your low carb portion (called Phase 3 or P3) then you slowly add back in "regular" foods in moderation and monitor your weight to see what types of foods affect you and how. Some foods may make you gain, others that may have in the past won't make you gain anymore. This final phase is called Phase 4 or P4.

So in a nut shell:

Phase 1 (load days) 2 days on drops (3x daily) high fat, protein, calorie fast (eat as much as you can stand)
Phase 2 (very low calorie days - VLCD) - no less than 21 days (with drops) 2 days without drops
Phase 3 (low carb, no sugar, pasta, starches, breads) no less than 21 days (no drops - goal is to maintain your P2 weight within 2lbs)
Phase 4 life maintenance, slowly add back in all foods and continue to monitor your weight


Things we noticed....if you cheat on P2 (your VLCD's) the hcg will cause abnormal fat gains (sometimes 3lbs or more overnight) - cheating is BAD, really, really BAD. You will lose lots of weight your first 2 or 3 VLCD's (like 3+ lbs a day) from there if you don't cheat you should lose an average of .5 a day sometimes more. If your period is coming, you may retain water and not lose for a couple of days - don't panic, just keep chugging the water, I promise if you don't cheat you will be rewarded. Most of what I've read shows most people lose at least 20 lbs and some lose even more depending on their body structure and amount of abnormal fat they carry.

There is a TON of information about this diet, I researched for a couple weeks before I jumped in and even then I still kept reading and learning and I visit the forum every day just to see how people are doing on there, it's really an inspiration.

Here's a couple links I think will be helpful from low carb friends:

TIPS FOR P2 OF DR. SIMEONS PROTOCOL
(there's a lot of info in this one, read at least the first few pages)

Phase 3 information for HCG diet
(this is a link for phase 3 - low carb)

For even more information....google the hcg diet and just read, read, read....

Before you start take a look at your calendar and count your days, look for holidays that you don't think you can stay on plan during or any events that may cause you to have to go off plan. I suggest trying to time your round so that you won't have any added pressure or temptation to cheat or go off plan.

[alexa_188]

Thank you so much :] You both have been very, very helpful. For a week I have been obsessed with reading this forum and gaining as much knowledge as I can about the plan!
I will continue to read and learn!

[shelbyla]

Here's another "short form" for the diet... Apparently there are a lot of us creating our own emails and synopses to send to friends who keep asking "How did you do it???"

The HCG Diet

The HCG Diet most commonly refers to the protocol that British physician Dr. Simeon identified in the mid-1950's. He discovered that when administered daily, HCG patients could maintain their health through a low calorie diet. When on a low calorie diet without HCG, patients became irritable, had hunger cravings, weakness, and/or headaches.

The use of HCG in a diet will dispose of the abnormal fat first, which will allow for a visual transformation of the body. It also helps to correct the patient's metabolism which in turn will help the patient from gaining the weight back once off a restricted diet. However, in order to maintain a healthy weight after a weight loss program, one must continue to have a well balanced diet.

Dr Simeon's protocol requires you to eat fruit, vegetables and meat, fish or poultry. As with any diet your success is dependent on how closely you abide by the diet plan and consume only food and portion sizes allowed.



HCG Diet Phases



Phase 1
Detoxification (optional)

Phase 2 (aka P2)
- Days 1 & 2 - Start hCG injections, drops or pellets and begin high fat, high calorie diet. This is often called "loading" and is an essential step in resetting the body's fat regulating system.
- Days 3-21 ( up to 42 days ) - Continue hCG that is now triggering the body to release stored fat as "food" for the body and supplement with the low calorie diet. The burned fat is providing a constant flow of fuel so you won't feel hungry as pounds & inches melt away.
- Two days for homeopathic and three days for Rx AFTER ending - Continue low calorie diet with NO hCG.

Phase 3 (aka P3)
Metabolism Reset Phase 21 days - Figure your BMR by using an online calculator and multiply by your activity level. Eat as many calories as indicated but do NOT eat sugars and starches (except for fruit allowed in P2 plus additional low glycemic fruits such as other types of berries). This will stabilize your new weight. If your weight fluctuates more than 2 pounds above your LDW, correct your weight by doing a correction day.

Phase 4 (aka P4)
Maintenance Phase 21 days - The body's fat regulation system is now adjusted. Begin to add back sugars and starches slowly, adjusting if your weight fluctuates more than two pounds above your LDW, using a correction day.


Low Calorie Diet Breakdown

One Serving of Fruit ( 2 x's a day ) - Apple, 6-9 strawberries, an orange, OR ½ grapefruit

100 grams of lean meat (2 x’s a day) (3.5 oz if weighed raw, 3.0 oz if cooked) - Veal, beef, chicken breast, white fish (swai, tilapia, halibut, flounder, sole, wild Chilean sea bass), lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking. 3 egg whites & 1 egg with yolk can be substituted for a protein once or twice a week. 3oz low-fat cottage cheese may be substiuted once per week for a protein portion.

Vegetables (2 x’s a day) - Spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, lettuce (any type), tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus and cabbage (any type).

Drinks - Water (1/2 to 1 gallon per day), Tea (any kind) or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only 1 Tablespoon of milk allowed in a 24 hour period. Stevia may be used as a sweetener. Green tea is also great to help with energy and even helps to burn more fat. (see fruity cold green tea recipe!)

2 Grissini/breadsticks or 2 melba toasts

Seasonings, etc. The juice of one lemon is allowed for all purposes and recommended to alkalize the body. Sea Salt (include it in your diet everyday), pepper, vinegar, mustard, garlic, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, chives, cilantro, etc. may be used for seasoning. Salsa/ pico de gallo in moderation. NO oil, butter, sugar or dressing.



Approved Food & Drink

Drinks Approved: * Black Coffee * Wu Long Tea * Yerba Mate Tea * Green Tea * Chamomile Tea You may have as much as you desire of plain spring water, mineral water, tea, coffee, or Zevia. You should drink about 2 liters of these liquids per day.

Proteins Approved: 100 grams or 3.5oz (weighed raw) of grilled (no oil or fat) one of the meat choices below: * beef * veal * white fish * venison * chicken breast * shell fish (shrimp, crab etc) * Eggs are occasionally allowed (one whole egg+3 egg whites=100 grams of protein) *3.5oz low-fat cottage cheese is allowed*

Vegetables Approved: One large handful or 100g (3.5oz) of one of the following vegetables: * spinach * fennel * celery * cabbage * chard * white, red & yellow onions * tomatoes * asparagus * beet greens * Red Radishes * lettuce of any kind * cucumbers These can be eaten raw, steamed, grilled or boiled. Do not mix vegetables in the same meal.

Fruits Approved: One of the following fruits - * 1 apple * 1 orange * 1/2 grapefruit * 1 handful of strawberries: approx 6-9

Breads Approved: One grissini breadstick or one melba toast.

Seasonings Approved: Salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, etc. Watch for sugar in your spices!

Miscellaneous:

* You may eat the breadstick and fruit as a snack in between meals instead of with your meals if you choose.

* No over the counter non-prescription drugs should be taken (with the exception of Aspirin).

* No cosmetics other than lipstick, eyebrow pencil and facial powder should be used. Buy mineral foundation.

* No creams, lotions or moisturizers that contain fat should be used. (Check the ingredient list. It is not safe to use if it contains “oil” or anything ending in “-ose”). Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer or Lubriderm Sensitive Skin are two oil free moisturizers. Conditioners for oily hair should be used.

* You must eat everything as prescribed. Do not skip meals or leave out one of the food groups.

* Only Thai massage is allowed. No massages of any other type

* Food is sweetened with Stevia, an all-natural, sugar-free sweetener.

* No mint is allowed. Buy non-mint toothpaste. Crest Cinnamon is a good one.

* Do not put your drops or pellets next to electronic equipment (computers, printers, fax machines, ipods, phones, etc.)

* If you are taking drops or pellets, do not touch the dropper or the bottle opening to your mouth or hands (can contaminate and deactivate drops or pellets)


Light Exercise

It is recommended that you do only light exercise while doing the hCG Diet. Walking, Yoga ,Pilates, lighter weight lifting (resistance) is great to keep up your strength. Stay away from high calorie burning exercises (ex. Running, aerobics). Over exercising will cause the body to go into starvation mode and hold on to the fat, fighting against the hCG.



Keep Track of Weight

It is important to weigh yourself and keep track of your success. You will want to weigh yourself when you first get up in the morning (the same clothing attire every time) after you have emptied your bladder.



The Maintenance Phase

The maintenance phase in the HCG diet comes after we have completed our goal for HCG whether it follows the 20 day or 40 day program. The purpose of the maintenance phase is to restore the metabolism and balance in the body and prevent any circumstance that the body will gain the weight back.

The maintenance phase lasts 3 weeks long and it is a crucial part of the diet in order to be successful with HCG. Without the maintenance phase the weight gain will be uncontrollable after we are off the diet. When the last day of the diet drops expire then it is said that you can eat whatever you want which is true except you must avoid foods that have sugar and starch. During the three week time frame it is imperative to have a scale with you and make sure to find a time every day to weigh yourself. It takes about 3 weeks for the weight to stabilize and cease fluctuation. During this period patients must realize that the carbohydrates, such as sugar, bread, rice, potatoes, pastries, etc, are to be avoided at all costs. If no carbohydrates whatsoever are eaten, fats can be indulged in somewhat more liberally and even small quantities of alcohol, such as a glass of wine with meals, does no harm, but as soon as fats and starch are combined things are very likely to get out of hand. This has to be observed very carefully during the first 3 weeks after the treatment is ended otherwise disappointments are almost sure to occur.

When you end your last day of taking the drops you must remain on the 500 calorie intake diet for 3 more days (2 days on homeopathic) before increasing your calories to allow time for the HCG to get out of the system. When you start the 4th day you are welcome to increase your calorie intake to an appropriate amount for a healthy BMR for the remainder of the maintenance phase. You can also pick up on an exercise routine since now you have a sufficient amount of calories to support the new food intake for the diet.

Bear in mind, your weight will fluctuate the first week or two, this is normal. Do a steak, fish, or chicken day if you need to. The weight will eventually stabilize and cease to fluctuate. Watch the starch and sugar very carefully during the 3 weeks. Eat as many organic foods as possible. Eat whatever you want, without starch or sugar, during the maintenance phase. Make sure you are eating enough. Use healthy fats and dairy products to up your calorie intake if necessary. Drink enough water.

[alexa_188]

Thank you.
How is it that people can change the phase 2 duration?
Wouldn't you need to be on it for a certain number of days in order to lose the weight? That is what phase 2 is about--right? Fat Loss?
Sorry but some people say do the very low calorie diet for 3 days to a week then go on and change to phase 3, stay on it for 21 days then go into the maintain phase...
So many different success stories makes you wonder which plan to follow!!!!

[alexa_188]

*Correction* The phase 2 days ^^ up there I forgot to mention on top of the 2 loading days. So it would be 2 days of loading and then 3 to 7 of very low calorie.

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by alexa_188

Thank you.
How is it that people can change the phase 2 duration?
Wouldn't you need to be on it for a certain number of days in order to lose the weight? That is what phase 2 is about--right? Fat Loss?
Sorry but some people say do the very low calorie diet for 3 days to a week then go on and change to phase 3, stay on it for 21 days then go into the maintain phase...
So many different success stories makes you wonder which plan to follow!!!!

Dr s says minimum 26 days(loading and VLCD) and maximum 40 dosing days HTH

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by alexa_188

*Correction* The phase 2 days ^^ up there I forgot to mention on top of the 2 loading days. So it would be 2 days of loading and then 3 to 7 of very low calorie.

Phase 2 consists of your dosing period loading while dosing(however many loading days you do minimum 2) and your VLCDS while dosing

[debkeversole]

Originally Posted by alexa_188

Thank you.
How is it that people can change the phase 2 duration?
Wouldn't you need to be on it for a certain number of days in order to lose the weight? That is what phase 2 is about--right? Fat Loss?
Sorry but some people say do the very low calorie diet for 3 days to a week then go on and change to phase 3, stay on it for 21 days then go into the maintain phase...
So many different success stories makes you wonder which plan to follow!!!!

minimum round is 26 days where have you seen to be on VLCD 3 days to a week?? please read Pounds and inches as soon as possible it will help you with this and the PHASES are about the only useful thing we have taken fro m kevin trudeaus book LOL

Patients who need to lose 15 pounds (7 kg.) or less require 26 days treatment with 23 daily injections. The extra three days are needed because all patients must continue the 500-Calorie diet for three days after the last injection. This is a very essential part of the treatment, because if they start eating normally as long as there is even a trace of HCG in their body they put on weight alarmingly at the end of the treatment. After three days when all the HCG has been eliminated this does not happen, because the blood is then no longer saturated with food and can thus accommodate an extra influx from the intestines without increasing its volume by retaining water.
We never give a treatment lasting less than 26 days, even in patients needing to lose only 5 pounds. It seems that even in the mildest cases of obesity the diencephalon requires about three weeks rest from the maximal exertion to which it has been previously subjected in order to regain fully its normal fat-banking capacity. Clinically this expresses itself, in the fact that, when in these mild cases, treatment is stopped as soon as the weight is normal, which may be achieved in a week, it is much more easily regained than after a full course of 23 injections.

125 I.U. of HCG daily (except during menstruation) until 40 injections have been given.
Until 3rd injection forced feeding.
After 3rd injection, 500 Calorie diet to be continued until 72 hours after the last injection.
For the following 3 weeks, all foods allowed except starch and sugar in any form (careful with very sweet fruit).
After 3 weeks, very gradually add starch in small quantities, always controlled by morning weighing.

[alexa_188]

I have the downloaded copy of pounds and inches in hand That is going to be my reading and note taking for the next 2 weeks....

Great info... I agree. He isn't a very popular guy LOL