Atkins/Other Plans after HCG

[RileyWorm]

Originally Posted by paulabob

RW, love your new belly! I would for sure call that a "Goal" belly! Your exercise and wraps certainly paid off bigtime.

Hope everyone's having a good weekend. We get to go pick up my girl after her weeklong trip with her grandparents. Missed her so much!

Thank you Paula! Hope your daughter had fun this weekend! I miss those sleepovers I used to have with Gma and Gpa, 30 years later!

[minimonkey]

You are looking great, Riley!!!!-- and if the inches haven't gone up, then why stress the darn scale??? I suspect some of it is muscle, and lean mass in general -- that tends to increase rather rapidly after calorie deprivation.

I may just have to get some of those wraps, if only to help with the water retention. I definitely see a difference in your photos! (BTW, do you have vitiligo, or is that just a trick of the camera?)

I'm PMSing over here, so adding bloat to bloat At least the PMS bloating is somewhat normal.

I'm doing a lot of reading on temperature and thyroid/adrenals/metabolism in general, and man... it's eye opening. My afternoon temperature was pretty low, and that was an oral temp... this isn't looking good!

Well, I'll be packing myself off to my excellent doc in the next couple of weeks, and she can help me figure this stuff out, I am sure.

More and more, I am thinking I really tanked my endocrine system It wasn't in stellar shape to begin with, and then all the stress, sleep deprivation, and crazy dieting probably did me in.

I'm still resting more and eating more... it's doing a number on my head, but I don't know what else to do -- more dieting is likely to make things worse in the long run, I think, even if I did manage to get short term results.

[RileyWorm]

Thanks Mini ! I have a long way to go but getting there....-Yes, I do have vitiligo. I have been fighting it for years. I had heard lots of other people suggesting using Head and Shoulders, and Shelby as well so I've been using that. I can tell its dying off (no more white, dry scaly bits) but the color won't even out until I can keep my butt out of the sun. Camping, grilling, swimming every weekend.
I guess I was stressing about the pounds, because I WAS definitely bloated. I guess I will have to start taking pics every so often. It's a mind game! The scale goes up you assume you are getting bigger, I guess. I don't measure because I am horribly inaccurate it and will get different numbers every time. I can tell you, though, that after my first and second wraps I lost over an inch each time (my cousin measured me). I feel as though it has definitely helped my recent bloat. The scale didn't drop but that's ok.
I am very interested to hear what your old doctor has to say, Mini! It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what's going on yourself. I think rest and eating is the perfect remedy right now.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday! Rainy here and a perfect day for cuddling on the couch and reading. Off topic but has anyone here read Jonathan Franzen's book Freedom? I can't put it down and I don't know why; I am unsure of where the plot is going.

[julieboolie]

Originally Posted by minimonkey

I'm PMSing over here, so adding bloat to bloat At least the PMS bloating is somewhat normal.

I'm doing a lot of reading on temperature and thyroid/adrenals/metabolism in general, and man... it's eye opening. My afternoon temperature was pretty low, and that was an oral temp... this isn't looking good!

Well, I'll be packing myself off to my excellent doc in the next couple of weeks, and she can help me figure this stuff out, I am sure.

More and more, I am thinking I really tanked my endocrine system It wasn't in stellar shape to begin with, and then all the stress, sleep deprivation, and crazy dieting probably did me in.

I'm still resting more and eating more... it's doing a number on my head, but I don't know what else to do -- more dieting is likely to make things worse in the long run, I think, even if I did manage to get short term results.

I think there's a lot to be gained from just taking our temperatures!! Why didn't I try that sooner? So simple!! Hope what info you gather + the Dr you trust will be able to get to the bottom of your situation. I applaud you for resting, refeeding and relaxing. Stress is evil!!

Originally Posted by RileyWorm

Thanks Mini ! I have a long way to go but getting there....-Yes, I do have vitiligo. I have been fighting it for years. I had heard lots of other people suggesting using Head and Shoulders, and Shelby as well so I've been using that. I can tell its dying off (no more white, dry scaly bits) but the color won't even out until I can keep my butt out of the sun. Camping, grilling, swimming every weekend.
I guess I was stressing about the pounds, because I WAS definitely bloated. I guess I will have to start taking pics every so often. It's a mind game! The scale goes up you assume you are getting bigger, I guess. I don't measure because I am horribly inaccurate it and will get different numbers every time. I can tell you, though, that after my first and second wraps I lost over an inch each time (my cousin measured me). I feel as though it has definitely helped my recent bloat. The scale didn't drop but that's ok.
I am very interested to hear what your old doctor has to say, Mini! It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what's going on yourself. I think rest and eating is the perfect remedy right now.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday! Rainy here and a perfect day for cuddling on the couch and reading. Off topic but has anyone here read Jonathan Franzen's book Freedom? I can't put it down and I don't know why; I am unsure of where the plot is going.

You sound like me!! I'm the most inconsistent measurer out there!! Although I am convinced, everyone is like that. Those places that take measurements w. diet/exercise contests can pull a bit tighter or looser to suit thier goals too . And ITA about exercise and the scale!! This is my current dilema!! I dropped my lifting in the pursuit of weight stabilization and it's certainly helped. But I miss it and want the benefits of it, while staying the same weight!! Why can't I have both? Why doesn't exercise = weight loss = scale loss? Sigh.

I'm feeling good today. I'm contentedly in window, LDW+1, and eating plenty. I am enjoying higher carbs than P3 should have (froyo w/ sugar, choc almonds-the real ones, etc) and it seems to work better for me than higher fat, extremely low carb did. Which is odd since I've been LC for 9+years, and planned to live that way forever. But, eating under 100g of carbs a day is still considered LC by US standards, so I guess I'm not a total fraud . I'm debating adding back the exercise. I may just start slowly w. walking or a zumba class or 2. But it's the weight training I miss!! I love what it does for my body and that in about 30 minutes 1-2x a week I can actually see results. I am convinced that it was messing w. the scale too much though. When is it "safe" to add it back? Third week of P4 maybe? I don't want to lose my muscles in the mean time but I'm scared . I love being in the 140's while eating well!! Total dream come true for me!! I need to be patient and take it all in stride.

[sunday]

Julie,

Just curious ... is it because you are P3 that you can't lift weights?
I am slowly doing kettlebells and know that I will have some gain.

Mini, I am very grateful for the info that Shelbyla shared on the thyroid/adrenals/metabolism. I know you will get to the bottom of these issues and see much needed relief!

[julieboolie]

Originally Posted by sunday

Julie,

Just curious ... is it because you are P3 that you can't lift weights?
I am slowly doing kettlebells and know that I will have some gain.

Mini, I am very grateful for the info that Shelbyla shared on the thyroid/adrenals/metabolism. I know you will get to the bottom of these issues and see much needed relief!

Yes, only b/c I'm in P3 and consciously trying to stay in my weight window. I'll add it back eventually. My previous round I gained from exercise and despite following protocol and CDs couldn't get back in my window to stay. Really messed w/ me . So far, so good!

[goddesslynne]

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but Stop The Thyroid Madness (google) is such a wealth of information for thyroid and adrenal issues!

Mini, do check out bulletproof coffee!! I think it's right up your alley. coconut oil makes me hot, I can't imagine how fired up I'll be when I get my MTC oil!

[RileyWorm]

OMG Lynne BUTTER in coffee?! my two favorite things! The problem for me, though, is that grass fed butter and other dairy is not readily available to me. Grrrrr.

[goddesslynne]

Riley, he recommends Kerrygold unsalted which I get at trader joes. Maybe google Kerrygold?

[goddesslynne]

Oh, I meant MCT oil!!

[RileyWorm]

Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc are all at least 45 minute drive for me. I don't make it that past those too often and have to plan special trips. My grocery stores stink. The one kind of butter I actually liked which had no rGBH they no longer carry. Boo.

[minimonkey]

Morning, ladies!

Julie, your success is extremely inspirational to me! It gives me hope that I can get there, too. It's excellent that you are maintaining that low WHILE eating well -- I was beginning to think that wasn't possible!

I think the damage I did to my system is going to require some medical intervention -- I don't know that refeeding alone will get the job done, but it certainly can't hurt me (except in terms of weight gain, I suppose...) I'm staying the course, though -- it's harder than it sounds. Every day I feel like I *should* be dieting -- and that by refeeding and resting, I am being lazy, out of control, and so forth and so on..... I'm just trying to quiet down those voices.

[minimonkey]

Riley -- I asked about the vitiligo because it is auto-immune, and is often accompanied by other autoimmune conditions and problems with thyroid/adrenal/etc. (My roommate has it, which is why I happen to know this.) Auto-immune conditions rarely happen alone... they bring friends, lol.

My understanding is that the antifungal treatments (like dandruff shampoo) are great for fungal depigmentation (such as tinea versicolor) but probably won't to a thing for true vitiligo ... Shelby is a wealth of information, so she may well know something that I don't here... but that's my understanding.

In any event, it is worth looking into the thyroid and adrenal stuff.

[RileyWorm]

Originally Posted by minimonkey

Riley -- I asked about the vitiligo because it is auto-immune, and is often accompanied by other autoimmune conditions and problems with thyroid/adrenal/etc. (My roommate has it, which is why I happen to know this.) Auto-immune conditions rarely happen alone... they bring friends, lol.

My understanding is that the antifungal treatments (like dandruff shampoo) are great for fungal depigmentation (such as tinea versicolor) but probably won't to a thing for true vitiligo ... Shelby is a wealth of information, so she may well know something that I don't here... but that's my understanding.

In any event, it is worth looking into the thyroid and adrenal stuff.

I think I actually have tinea versicolor; the derm told me it was a skin fungus and I didn't recall the proper name; 'sun spots' is what he called it. He said it is from overexposure from the sun and my melanin cannot keep up (if I am recalling correctly). Sorry for the confusion. In any event, when he prescribed medication it was a prescriptive strength sulfur dandruff shampoo and athlete's foot cream. Which I HATED the smell of, but it did work. My lack of treatment is due to pure laziness. lol. How similar are the two? Possibly could they be mixed up by my derm?

[minimonkey]

Julie -- interesting that you are maintaining better with higher carbs on p3. If I ever do another round, that is the route I am going to take, I think... I just don't do well with low carbs anymore (which is totally messing with my head, after so many years of believing that low carb was THE answer!)

I certainly seem to feel better with more carbs these days-- energy is much better when I eat them, strength is better, and so forth.

I'm staying away from sugar (except in fruit) -- and avoiding gluten -- but experimenting with adding in other sources of carbs. Having felt increasingly more rotten the lower I dropped my carbs with the ketogenic experiment really opened my eyes to the fact that maybe keto was no longer the answer for me. It was great for a long time, but I had to listen to my body on this one.

I hope you are able to add the weight training back in soon -- I wonder why it is such a scale-killer for you? I know that is true for a lot of us -- and no, it isn't because we are all turning into muscle-mounds over night, lol! (I wish!) -- I suspect a lot of it has to do with the inflammatory response in the body (at least for me) -- I kick up inflammatory chemicals that are necessary for muscle building and repair, but then the response goes haywire, and I start getting inflammation throughout my body -- and water retention, and so forth ...

I always assumed this was due to the Lyme, but perhaps it is more of a common problem than I realized.

[minimonkey]

Riley -- If an antifungal worked on the discoloration, then I think you have your answer. Sounds like tinea versicolor, or something similar.

[minimonkey]

I just have to say, about the coffee -- I love coffee, and I love butter, but the two together sound pretty gross to me, lol! I tried coconut oil in my coffee, and didn't care for it. I can do cream from time to time, but really, I am a black coffee girl at heart.

I've been drinking black coffee since I was a little kid (really little, like 3 years old!) I had my own little kiddie size coffee cup, and my mom would water the coffee it down with half water -- but my mom and grandma were both coffee drinkers, and I wanted in on the action. My mom let me try it, thinking I would hate it, and I never stopped begging for it after that!

I've always wondered if I might have been just a smidge taller if I hadn't been guzzling coffee regularly by the time I was ten or so, lol! I come from a short family, though, so I doubt it would have made much difference.

[goddesslynne]

The butter is absolutely amazing. The key is to blend in blender or Ninja. It completely blends and emulsifies, so creamy! Must be unsalted. Even the co stays blended!! No more stirring!!

[julieboolie]

Originally Posted by minimonkey

Morning, ladies!

Julie, your success is extremely inspirational to me! It gives me hope that I can get there, too. It's excellent that you are maintaining that low WHILE eating well -- I was beginning to think that wasn't possible!

I think the damage I did to my system is going to require some medical intervention -- I don't know that refeeding alone will get the job done, but it certainly can't hurt me (except in terms of weight gain, I suppose...) I'm staying the course, though -- it's harder than it sounds. Every day I feel like I *should* be dieting -- and that by refeeding and resting, I am being lazy, out of control, and so forth and so on..... I'm just trying to quiet down those voices.

Thanks!! I can hardly believe it myself !! I am sad the weight training will have to wait, but I'll be fine. I like it enough to want to add it back eventually. But I'm eating out, taking in about 2000 cals the past 2 days (more on Fri) and stable!! It's really amazing!! My temps in the am are 97.2, one day 97.6!! That's on fire for me!! I'm so encouraged. I think the higher carbs help keep my thyroid working well and my metabolism burning better. Not a scientific explanation, by any stretch, but it's working, I enjoy it and am really, really happy!! I know it's too soon to say I've "arrived" but I am beginning to relax a bit and believe that I may actually be stable!! We'll see. I ate at my fave Sweet Tomatoes today, which notoriously causes major gains. I tried to stay in control and not overeat. We'll see. This is a major test for me, esp coming off a high cal weekend. I'm cautiously optomistic!!

Mini-I hope the Dr can help you! Hormones, thyroid and lyme? You're a good candidate for a good endocrinologist!! Hope it works out!! And maybe you'd be less "mini" w. less coffee?

Lynne- somone else here at LCF talks about butter in their coffee. Can't remember who, but it sounds icky to me!! But, I love coffee and I love butter, so how could it be awful? I'm a cream in my coffee girl!!

Erin-glad the treatment helped. I tend to be overexposed to the sun too!! You look great to me!!

[Crazy PreK Teacher]

Originally Posted by julieboolie

Thanks!! I can hardly believe it myself !! I am sad the weight training will have to wait, but I'll be fine. I like it enough to want to add it back eventually. But I'm eating out, taking in about 2000 cals the past 2 days (more on Fri) and stable!! It's really amazing!! My temps in the am are 97.2, one day 97.6!! That's on fire for me!! I'm so encouraged. I think the higher carbs help keep my thyroid working well and my metabolism burning better. Not a scientific explanation, by any stretch, but it's working, I enjoy it and am really, really happy!! I know it's too soon to say I've "arrived" but I am beginning to relax a bit and believe that I may actually be stable!! We'll see. I ate at my fave Sweet Tomatoes today, which notoriously causes major gains. I tried to stay in control and not overeat. We'll see. This is a major test for me, esp coming off a high cal weekend. I'm cautiously optomistic!!

Mini-I hope the Dr can help you! Hormones, thyroid and lyme? You're a good candidate for a good endocrinologist!! Hope it works out!! And maybe you'd be less "mini" w. less coffee?

Lynne- somone else here at LCF talks about butter in their coffee. Can't remember who, but it sounds icky to me!! But, I love coffee and I love butter, so how could it be awful? I'm a cream in my coffee girl!!

Erin-glad the treatment helped. I tend to be overexposed to the sun too!! You look great to me!!

Theresa Jones...ice cream something? I forget....I wonder how she's doing? I see her pinning on Pinterest still.

[minimonkey]

There was a poster here by the name of Icecreamjunkie for a while -- I think that may be who you mean... she was having some major problems with edema, so I PMed with her for a bit a while back... nice person

Julie -- you are totally my inspiration right now! I so hope I can achieve the same thing -- I'm having a very hard time staying the course and not jumping back into some kind of diet, but you are giving me hope.

My doc is great -- she works a lot with female hormones as well as thyroid and Lyme... and she is noted for turning around those difficult to diagnose cases, when nothing else has worked. So, I feel pretty confident about her -- and I can't wait to get the testing done and figure out what on earth is wrong.

I will tell her straight up that I dieted way too much, and got way too run down last year,and that the stresses were absolutely brutal... that, alone, will probably have her heading straight for the adrenal/thyroid tests.

I wonder if my water retention might be turning around a bit right now, actually -- I seem to be peeing an awful lot tonight, without drinking any more fluid than usual. A girl can hope, right?

I'm pre-menstrual, too, but at least this time my cycle was of a nearly normal length, which was a nice change.

[minimonkey]

Your carb/temperature explanation actually might be correct, Julie, even if you think it sounds unscientific....

There is a fair body of research that indicates low-carb diets are correlated with low T3 (and high reverse T3) in at least some portion of the population.

I know that this last time out, I felt awful when I dropped carbs too low. I can do "regular Atkins/OWL" just fine ... 30 to 40 grams of carbs a day... but when I start getting below about 20, I start feeling lethargic and head-achy (and, I lost nothing whatsoever!) This was a huge surprise to me, since I used to feel fantastic on nearly 0 carbs... but not this time around. On the other hand, I used to feel relatively awful when I ate carby things, but now I seem to be tolerating them quite well... so, I'm baffled, but I am continuing to eat more carbs.

I forgot to take my temp this morning -- hopefully I'll remember tomorrow.

[julieboolie]

Originally Posted by minimonkey

There was a poster here by the name of Icecreamjunkie for a while -- I think that may be who you mean... she was having some major problems with edema, so I PMed with her for a bit a while back... nice person

Julie -- you are totally my inspiration right now! I so hope I can achieve the same thing -- I'm having a very hard time staying the course and not jumping back into some kind of diet, but you are giving me hope.

My doc is great -- she works a lot with female hormones as well as thyroid and Lyme... and she is noted for turning around those difficult to diagnose cases, when nothing else has worked. So, I feel pretty confident about her -- and I can't wait to get the testing done and figure out what on earth is wrong.

I will tell her straight up that I dieted way too much, and got way too run down last year,and that the stresses were absolutely brutal... that, alone, will probably have her heading straight for the adrenal/thyroid tests.

I wonder if my water retention might be turning around a bit right now, actually -- I seem to be peeing an awful lot tonight, without drinking any more fluid than usual. A girl can hope, right?

I'm pre-menstrual, too, but at least this time my cycle was of a nearly normal length, which was a nice change.

Yes!! Angela and Mini-you're right!! It was Theresa!! She moved back to Tx, right? Wonder where she went .

I know how hard it is to NOT try to lose weight. It was odd for me too!! After YEARS of focus on losing, allowing myself to gain was so hard to wrap my head around!! But, once I accepted it, it was really fun!! Your Dr sounds great!! I'm sure she'll investigate thoroughly and that will either help treat as well as reassure you! Being supported by a Dr who is honestly looking into causes for our symptoms is very empowering!!

If I can find stability with my weight and diet, it can certainly happen for you!! I even ate at my old nemesis Sweet T's yesterday and am only up 1lb!! That's at the top of my window, but I know it'll be back down tomorrow. I'm thrilled!!

And I agree about the T3 and carbs. I've heard for years about low carb not being ideal for hypo-t patients, but hadn't really experienced if for myself. I lost well on Atkins and felt great while living LC. Like you, when I'd indulge in higher carb meals (vacations, bdays, etc.) I'd feel awful, gain 5-10lbs and go back to LC. But, now, that seems to be different. I generally prefer eating just how I am now, and my body seems to like it too!! A bit of peace and happiness after a life of obesity!! Thank the Lord!

[paulabob]

Hope everyone is doing well. I've been taking care of a sick DD, but hopefully she will be better today. DS was sick last Wednesday. Hoping I don't catch it! Got work today.

Slowly working myself down from a carb explosion I had last week. My lowest weight was 124.6, but was immediately back up to 126 (no carbs, just ovulation). Bounced back to 130.2 and am 127.4 today. Would love to see fresh weight by the end of the week.

Speaking of carbs, I've noticed my "out of ketosis" amount is quite a bit higher since I lowered my protein. I used to gain water weight at 30 net carbs, but no longer. And my blood sugars are doing wonderfully. Yesterday, had 18 net carbs at lunch. Premeal blood sugar, 87. Postmeal blood sugar, 82.

[goddesslynne]

As I continue to experiment I had a very uncharacteristic 2 servings of hummus yesterday! Up almost 1 1/2 pounds!! Garbanzo beans are not the worst thing on the bulletproof spectrum, but obviously not great for me!!

Keeping it simple today.

[KathyE]

Hey all!

First, thank you Mini for starting this thread. I am in need of advice from all you experts. Sorry this is so long but I need advice!

Did 3-4 rounds of HCG spray (I lost count)--maintained only after R1, then yo-yo'd up 10 or so before the next round, lost more, and so on...

Anyway, I'm 25 lb over my last low on hcg (lost 58 total) just due to sloppy eating and wine :-) at night although I did stay reasonably low carb

I'm day 6 on Atkins and bouncing between 2.5 and 3 pounds lost - many years ago on Atkins I did lose the initial 8-10 pounds in 2 weeks or less. Inches aren't coming off either.

I'm guessing it is the yo-yo effect of the last year and being 51 and perimenopausal. I'm taking vitamins and supplements. Could it be too few calories at an average of 12-1400?

PLEASE give me suggestions--mentally I cannot do another hcg round AND I feel it has changed my metabolism.

Thank you! Kathy

[julieboolie]

Kathy- You're in the classic dilema. Atkins worked great for me in the beginning. I lost 100lbs in a year. But I couldn't seem to get below 175lbs w.o major calorie restriction and then couldn't maintain it once I got down a bit. W. hcg I've been able to get to 147ish and stay here. It's been a long road, and several rounds with a good refeed in between is what it took for me. When I tried strict Atkins again to lose it didn't work for me. How have you been eating btw rounds before going back to Atkins? Have you had your thyroid and hormones checked? Many of us suffer from hypothyroid and hormonal imbalances making weight loss even harder. There's not a magic bullet. For me, hcg was the only way to get to the "normal" weight range. I'm sorry you weren't able to stabilize after your rounds. Many share that same struggle.

Paula-you'll get that back off. Sorry dd's sick . Wash your hands and don't touch your face!! Get your rest!!

Lynne-there is a lot of fiber in those garbanzos, but I love hummus too!! You'll relose it too. I'm waiting a while for hummus, much as I love it.

I start P4 Friday or Saturday. Hummus may be on the menu. I'm also looking forward to some sweet potato, maybe a few fries. I'm not that anxious for sugary stuff. My froyo has already been added successfully in P3 and that's my treat of choice!! The rest is all gravy

I STS today, which is a bit disappointing. I'm still at the upper edge of my window. I'd rather be closer to LDW, but in is in . I'll shoot for a "lighter day" today and hope for a bit of wiggle room. If DMIL wasn't here I'd do a Cd. (even though I know I'm not out of my window!!) I would like to settle a bit lower in the 140's, but it's all stable in my book. Once I'm into P4 I will be able to breathe more deeply. I feel like I'm holding my breath a bit still.

I am also pleasantly surprised to see my temps are up today!! I was 97.7 today!! That's back where I was during my refeed RRARFing . I'm thrilled!! I think the froyo and added carbs must be helping. I'm burning!! Woo-hoo!! This is HUGE for me!! Stable weight, almost "normal" body temps. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'm healthy . Yay God!!

[RileyWorm]

Julie, wanting Sweet Tomatoes now! I LOVE the blueberry muffins with honey butter, and during the fall they have a cranberry turkey soup that is TO DIE. And only 1lb up? Amazing!
Kathy, you will find that many of us on this thread are unable to go back to our tried and true methods of losing weight before HCG! I think most of us are somewhat experimenting to find what works for 'us.' Good luck!

As for myself, my water weight is subsiding, slowly but surely, and this is what I have done differently: I still indulged in wine this weekend (and a few beers too ), and had NO REBOUNDS this week! In fact, I am down 3 pounds from all time high (post hcg) a week ago! I have decided to cut out one protein shake so I am only having one for breakfast now; I started eating FRUIT! (mini-bananas), I've cut my protein portions down slightly overall and upping the veggies, and adding more fats in the way of butter and HWC, mainly. I think I have discovered that the super low carb, high protein restrictions weren't working with my weekend lifestyle since I always have undone any progress made during the week on weekends! Seems to be helping with the water retention a bit and am feeling leaner from the workouts again.

[paulabob]

Originally Posted by KathyE

PLEASE give me suggestions--mentally I cannot do another hcg round AND I feel it has changed my metabolism.

I have a feeling the answer may be different for EVERYBODY and that you will have to try, try, try new things until you find a sustainable method of losing.

I worked on lowcarb calorie restriction for awhile, and it worked for awhile, but not well. Then I tried JUDDD, where I only lost a few pounds (3 I think?) although I had some positive improvements in waist/hip ratio. I tried Dr. Kruse's Leptin reset, which worked for awhile and then I started gaining weight on it. Finally I've gone onto a lower protein low carb regimen (similar to the "optimal" diet, or something also called nutritional ketosis, although I'm eating higher carbs than some of them. I cut fat calories Monday-Friday, eat maintenance on the weekend, and overall am losing about a pound a week. I'm happy with that rate of loss, I don't feel too deprived on about 1000 calories a day on most weekdays, and the weekends help replenish me.

The last time I did a full round of hcg, I only lost 7 pounds of fresh weight...can't imagine enduring another 3 weeks for only 7 pounds when the diet itself makes me...a bit insane after 5 days.

So don't give up, try new things, and hopefully something will click for you.

[TerriMM]

Well friends, this 1/2 round of HCG was a total bust. I lost focus thinking maybe I could do LC with HCG, stupid I know, I knew better. Then I just couldn't get refocused again. So Sunday I stopped dosing and Monday went back to No S. I started low carb style just because that's the food I had on hand but will slowly convert to "plain vanilla" No S as the week goes on. I am also adding the No S exercise plan. Even after a day my weight has started to recede. It's not a quick loss, more of a maintain and slowly recede plan. But it is just such a sane way to live. Right now I need a little sanity and normalcy more than anything. And maintaining is a step forward at this point
For anyone interested: No S Diet: No snacks, sweets, seconds, except on days that start with S.

Also this is the thread here: The No S Diet