Thanksgiving-Christmas HCG Diet

[Erictpa]

Thanks for the kudos. I really appreciate them.  :)

As for the elyptical, I still do it three times a week but I don't have quite as much energy as I used to have. I now do about 600 calories and it takes me almost an hour too. And when I get done, I have to sit for a few minutes and cool off before I attempt to walk home (literally across the street). It really wipes me out, but I feel so darn proud that I was able to finish that I don't even care how worn out I am. I remember the time when 10 minutes on that machine really kick my butt. :)

Keep doing what you are doing. 5-7 pounds per week is excellent! I have a feeling I am settling down to that also. But that's fine with me. That means I can lose 25-30 pounds a month which will put me at my goal of 75 pounds total in just a few months.  :)

Now I kinda wish I'd taken a fancy "before" picture so I can compare it to my "after" picture in March.

[AJMAMA]

Hi there HCG pals! I just started the program 11-05-07, I am goingtoa local clinic and doing 600-800 calorie diet and two injections week. I just went to my firts weight in last tuesday. I lost 8 inches, and 12 lbs the first month. The first month I was only doing one shot, now I upped it to two. Has anyone seen any problems spotting? It just started w/ adding the 2nd shot. Anyhow, I thought I would see faster results w/ two, but I have been at the same weight for a week now...What am I doing wrong? I have 50 to loose from pregnancy. So please anyone else at a stand still let me know!!!

[SheriBerry]

Hello all! Thanks so much for the support and the encouragement! I was needing it. I feel better today. I am still kinda lingering around the same weight, however I have lowered my dose back down to 175iu and mixed up a new batch so hopefully that will make a difference. And yes, I am DONE with the baking for the year. So that's good. That was torture anyway. Cooking without being able to taste is nothing short of a **** shoot. Who knows how my baked goods turned out.

[presunn]

I took a really great before photo.  I cant wait to compare in February.  I want to lose a total of 40-50lbs -- so I want to have a few photos to compare.

You are absolutely right about the weightloss.  I am extremely happy with my 5-7lbs :-)  It just really boggles my mind how easy its falling off and Im not hungry which adds to the confusion -- lol.  With something like this (HCG) we all have no excuse to be overweight.

I workout M-F for about an hour/day.  My workouts usually consists of group exercise though -- I need the motivation of other people but I am incorporating the eliptical on fridays for an hour -- it really does give you a great sense of accomplishment when you are done.

Good luck this week :-)

[Abbyliz1616]

I have never been on one of these before, but here it goes...

I started the HCG shot on Dec 4th (a week ago).  I am 5'3, starting weight 153lbs.  My goal is to get to 125.  I was losing weight daily until this morning when I weighed, I had a 1.5 lb weight gain.  I know it seems silly, but it really shook me up.  Has this happened to anyone else?  

Since last Tuesday I have an overall weight loss of 4.5lbs, so I am still very happy with the results.  I guess I just don't want to get on the wrong path.

My diet consists of very high protein, very low carb, low fat, low cal, no alcohol.  Exercise is not required, but it is encouraged.  I work out 2-3 times a week for about 30mins.  I have stuck strictly to the diet.

I am new to this... does anyone have any advice for me??

thanks!!!

[Erictpa]

Well, for the first time I stepped on the scale this morning and lost exactly ZERO pounds. And this was a morning after a workout that burned 700 calories. Wow, I was shocked. But then I started analyzing what I ate yesterday and I think I spotted a few culprits.

First, I ate within the guidelines for lunch except I had a small amount of homemade chili which had salt in it and then I grabbed about 10 grapes for dessert - strike one. At dinner, I made sauted (sp) shrimp but used a little cajun spice on them, which made themtase salty - strike two. And finally without even thinking about it, I walked by the trailmix container, reached in, and popped a few pecans and raisens in my mouth - strike three, you're out!

It never ceases to amaze me how something that small can have such a bif effect. Needless to say I am on strict calorie watch today. I'm holding off on declaring a plateau emergency until I weigh again tomorrow.

[SheriBerry]

Abbyliz1616- What dose are you taking and what is your daily calorie intake? And I think we all reach a point where we gain a little weight for no reason. I've been gaining and losing the same 2 pounds for a while now. But I lowered my dose and mixed myself a new batch yesterday so we shall see. You might also check and make sure you aren't using any lotions, creams, conditioners that you aren't supposed to use. I have a favorite lotion and for the most part I have done well without it but once a week I give in and do and I tend to gain a little. Not sure if it's related or not.

Erictpa- Strange how something so small can throw a wrench into our weight loss! I made some soup the other night using cabbage, a tomato, little onion and my allowed chicken and no salt and even THAT made me gain weight, so I don't mix my veggies anymore. Just keep it simple. Maybe you are working out and building muscle as well? I hope you don't have to do an apple day, but at least you know if you do..........it does work. Good luck!

[Erictpa]

Crisis averted. I lost almost 2 pounds yesterday so I think the salt from Monday is what did me in. But I'm back on track - I've lost a total of 23.5 pounds so far, and people at work are starting to notice. Its been so long since I got a weight compliment that I'm not sure how to respond. Feels good.  :)

Now I'm getting a bit worried about my Christmas vacation coming up. My shots end a week from tomorrow and I'm afraid I will start to gain again. Does anyone remember how many calories we are supposed to stick to while not on the shots?

[SheriBerry]

Well I broke down and ate 3 pieces of Papa John's pizza last night and it was DELISH! Gained a pound but I was so hungry it was almost worth it. lol
Back on track today.
And congrats on your weight loss! I'm glad people are noticing and you are getting an ego boost!!!

We are supposed to eat around 1500 calories on phase 3. No sugars and no starches. If you ever did the Adkin's diet, that's close to what phase 3 is. High proteins, veggies,  whole creams, whole butter, just keep to the natural foods and stay away from anything with ingredients that include words you can't pronounce and don't know what they are. I believe that after you take your last shot you continue the VLCD for 3 days before starting phase 3.

[Erictpa]

Whole cream and whole butter!? Really? I had no idea. But I'm glad to hear the calories crank ut to 1500. That should help. I wonder where wine falls into that mix?  :)

And I am so jealous about the pizza. I would kill for something like that. Or corn chips. That's my big weakness. But I leave for vacation on the 22nd which is right around the corner. I can hold out until then. I really want to be able to say I lost 30 pounds before Christmas and I only have 5.5 to go.

[SheriBerry]

Yeah you can have whole cream in your coffee and real butter, you just have to take those into consideration when you add up your calories. Just try to keep them around 1500. They say that if you try and eat less (continue on a low calorie diet) you will tend to gain.

Man that pizza was the bomb. I felt guilty afterwards but this was the first time I've cheated at all so.........! I can say that after 3 pieces I was so full I was about to die. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. My tummy was killing me. Darn those TV commercials! That's what got me in the pizza mood! And yes, corn chips sound good. Maybe with some bean dip or cheese dip. Oh lord........here I go again!

Just watch the wine on vacation since it's full of sugars. Might stick to a Merlot and stay away from the sweet white and rose colored wines..........
Where are you going on vacation dear? I really want to go see my son who in in the Navy and stationed in San Diego. He can't come home for Christmas  and I miss him badly.

[presunn]

:-)

My stats:

Hey all -- new stats...

Start Weight --> 187.4
After 1wk      --> 181.0
After 8dys     --> 179.4
Weight Loss --> 8lbs

It feels sooo good to be under 180 -- I am sooo happy right now.  Keep up the good work family and hang in there.  Its easy but its not that easy -- keep fighting :-)

[SheriBerry]

Great job! You are right on schedule with losing a pound a day!

[Erictpa]

Thanks for the info. I will take it easy on the wine and watch the overindulgences. I am heading to Ft. Lauderdale for 12 days and I too plan on have pizza at least once while I'm there. But I have already warned the other guys I'm sharing the house with that healthy, low calorie food will be in the refrigerator and we will be exercising everyday. If I have to do it, I'm going to make them do it as well.  :)

This is going to be one healthy Christmas.

[Erictpa]

Good work!! Eight pounds in eight days is wonderful!

[patmdon]

Hi HCG family.  Haven't checked in lately.  Here's my stats: started VLCD on 11/24/07 @ 211 lbs.  Weighed in today @ 192.  That's 19 days on VLCD with 19 lbs lost!  A pound a day.  Very little exercise.  Started @ 125 IU's.  The past week I mixed 150 IU's.  Thought it might help with the hungries.  Not much diff.  I just really need to eat when lunch & dinner time come around or I start feeling hungry & cranky.  

Anyone try Stevia plus (with fiber).  Just got it but I'm a bit afraid to use it.  Don't want to mess up a good thing, ya know.  Everyone's doing so well.  Congrats to all!

[presunn]

Thanks for your support.  I really do appreciate it.

Sheri -- thanks for correcting me on the other discussion -- steak day :-)  

Eric -- its always good to get the people around you involved in what you are doing -- it helps with motivating you and it shows them that you care.  My fiance is at the opposite end of the spectrum -- he is trying to gain and he really enjoys eating and he verbally acknowledges how good something is.  Ever since i have been on this plan he has really become aware of that and tries not to do it so i am not tempted.  He also tries not to complain too much about how much food he has to eat to gain 1lb/wk -- I WISH!!!!!!!!!

Anyway -- i think you deserve a piece of pizza Eric -- you are doing great just beware when you are munching and take it very very slow.  Remember you are our inspiration so we need you to keep losing.

:-)

[presunn]

Congrats Pat -- great job -- I hope to be like you 19 in 19 -- im halfway there :)

[patmdon]

thanks for the kudos!  You'll make it, I'm sure.  It's amazing how fast the time (& lbs lost) add up.  I can hardly believe I've done 19 days already.  I hope to lose a total of 50 + lbs.  Almost half way there, too. yeah!!! us!!!  

[Erictpa]

presunn - Thanks fot the kinds words. I too appreciate the support I'm getting not only from all of you on this list but also at work and at home. My partner doesn't give me a hard time about eating so little, but rather tells me daily that there is a definite difference in my appearance. I never really thought people would notice, but it sure helps that they have. And as for being your inspiration, I hope I don't let you down. Wow, the pressure is on.  :)

patmdon - 19 in 19 is spectacular! You are doing a great job. Just keep scooting food off you plate and on to your fiance's. I had a hard time eating with others in the beginning because I really wanted what they were eating. I'd be eating a small garden salad with half a chicken breast and they would have spaghetti, pizza, or wings. But now I don't even think about it.

Today is the start of day 19 for me on VLCD and as of this morning I'm down 26 lbs. I think I can say with some confidence that I will probably hit my short-term goal of 30 pounds by Christmas (It was originally 25 but I upped it a bit since things are going so well). My long-term goal is to lose 75 lbs by June, which will put me in the range of my High School weight, something I haven't seen in over 20 years. That's going to shock the hell out of everyone. I can't wait!!  :)

[presunn]

wow -- that would be fantastic.  it is sooooo weird -- i never thought 26lbs or even 19lbs in 19 days was possible.  you always hope and pray for that weight loss miracle that will magically drop the weight but realistically you never expect to get it.  I mean how many of us have seen the informercials or read about some great new weightloss drug and got it with the best expectations but knew deep down inside that it wasnt going to work.  ive did it countless times.  i even did it with this.  i read the forums -- i saw the before and after pictures and i said i want it but there was a part of me that believed it was all hype.  now i know its real -- there is a weightloss cure.

Guys -- we got it.  That is sooo amazing to me.  Its like I play the lottery faithfully every week and I want to win and I hope to win but deep down inside I never expect to win.  I imagine this (HCG  diet) is what it would feel like if I actually won one day -- lol.

Ok -- enough of the revelation.  My stats -- I am down to 178.2 -- so I lost another 1.2lbs which is wonderful.  Good day Family.

[Erictpa]

Happy Friday everyone!!  Just thought I'd start the day off with a smile. I hope you are all having good luck with staying on the VLCD and exercising. So far so good for me. As of today I've lost 27 pounds and only have 48 to go to reach my dream weight. this morning begins day 20 of the VLCD and I don't even stress about the amount of food anymore. It was tough in the beginning but seems normal now. but I leave for vacation a week from tomorrow and I need to keep the diet in my mind while I'm away. I don't want to backslide and gain any of it back.

SheriBerry - Hey, where are you? Haven't seen a post from you in a couple of days. Hope all is well. :)

[Erictpa]

Well, this starts the last week of my shots. I received mine pre-loaded and only enough for 4 weeks so I won't have to worry about them while on vacation. But I plan to do another round starting on January 15th, and this time it will be for 6 weeks. I want to lose 40 pounds during that round.

I had a good/bad weekend. I lost 2 pounds on Saturday but gained 1 back on Sunday. So that puts me at 28 pounds lost with 2 more to go by Saturday to make my goal. Surly I can do 2 pounds in a week! I just have to stay focused and not give in to temptation. This has certainly been a whirlwind experience. 30 pounds in a month. You can not believe how much this has changed my life already. I can wait to see what things are like in March when I lose the other 40.  :)

I hope everyone is doing well. I'm finding the holidays particularly hard for the VLCD and am actually looking forward to the new year when dieting seems to be the norm.

[wannabe_looser]

Hey guys! Congrats to all the loosers! I've been following this forum for a while waiting for my HCG to arrive..And finally today it did :) I'm very happy I feel like I received the best Christmas present ever hip hip hurray!!
The only thing is I don't know if it's the right stuff ...see on the box it says
Pregnyl 1500 iu I ordered from DD is that what it's supposed to say? The rest of it is in German and the box is white and some blue on the side.

Can anyone help? Did anyone else order from DD is that what they got?
Anyway it's really great to have a place like this to come to.
thanks!

[Erictpa]

Yes, Pregnyl is the brand name.  :)

Good luck with the program. It can be a bit tough at times but is totally worth it.

[wannabe_looser]

Thank you so much Erictpa!! So I'm officially excited now..I can't wait to start in January after the Holidays maybe we can start at the same time..this will be my first round with which I also want to loose 40 pounds.Anyway 30 lbs in 30 days that's pretty amazing! I agree it's totally worth it.

[presunn]

hey strangers -- its been a while -- lol.  well first my update...

start date          start weight
dec 4 2007           187.4

todays date      present weight
dec 20 2007         171.2

total loss is 16.2lbs/17dys.  not bad at all.  i have not cheated yet (i am going to give myself a small break at christmas dinner -- we only get that once a year right??) i dont think i will eat tooo much.  my appetite has really shrunk.  i feel really great about myself.  yesterday at work some of my old pants were slipping down under my waist (they use to squeeze my stomach -- lol) -- and it felt so great having to tug at them all day ;-)

anyway -- i have also decided to do a colon cleanse -- i checked out drnatura dot com and it really opened my eyes to alot of stuff.  i would suggest that we all at least visit the website -- esp. erictpa and sheriberry since us three have had bowel problems on this diet in the past.

congrats erictpa on your success -- and thanks for not letting our board go ghost town -- lol.

[Suesue24]

When u order from drugdelivery.ca do u have to order the bac. water aldo?  Where doyou get your needles from

[presunn]

i hope everyone had a great christmas -- i know i did.  over the christmas holiday -- i maintained my eating plan until christmas but on christmas i went a little star"ve"crazy -- lol.  i got down to 168lbs but now I am back at 171 (which isnt bad considering that i ate a whole LOT of food).  And when I say lot -- i mean that literally (like the parking lot at my job -- lol).

okay okay -- im over exaggerating.  i am impressed that i only gained 3 lbs -- i will be resuming the diet tomorrow and hopefully my weightloss will still be as consistent as it was before my christmas binge.

God bless everyone and Happy new YEAR!!!!

[patmdon]

Hi everyone and Happy New Year!  Christmas was great.  Like presunn, I must confess I went off the diet for the holidays.  But I'm back on as of yesterday and already lost one of the 4 pounds I gained.  I feel newly committed to the hcg way and am happily looking forward to losing all the weight I need to in the next few months.  This summer I will certainly be going shopping for a new bathing suit and expect to fit into my smaller sizes of summer clothing in storage.  
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.  Looking forward to your posts on how everyone did.  It is absolutely the MOST difficult time to diet. ;+)

[kosemani]

Happy new yr to you all too. Sorry I've been long gone just because I was so frustrated as I wasn't loosing at all ad I got depresse dthat I never stop eating. I don't know why my hcg is not working for me as all of you. I need your help all as I want to go back on track now. I want to shed the pounds. I don't know why it's not working. I think i GOT THE MIXING RIGHT. Can anyone help me pls. Pls pls pls. Thannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnks! What can I do, can you tell me how you started off. Can anyone help me. Thank you fir helping me.

[VirginiaH]

I am so bored with the diet that I find myself reaching for what my husband and grandson are eating. I'm not necessarily hungry. I've lost 6 pounds, even with the cheating, and have been on the plan, second time around, for 11 days. I need some recipes to liven up the food. Chicken has been tasting very gamie to me and I hate eating it now. I love doing beef stew beef in the crockpot with a can of beef broth, a can of tomatos (sometimes with chillies), a head of cabbage and one onion. I know this is mixing the veggies though and you are only supposed to have one of the veggies per meal.  Suggestions, please?
Virginia

[VirginiaH]

http://hcgrecipes.blogspot.com/

[SheriBerry]

Hi everyone. Yes, I kinda dropped off the face of the Earth but here is what is going on and I wanted to warn the ladies taking HCG injections.I started the HCG injections on Thanksgiving this last year and was on this forum keeping up with everyone when I found a lump in my breast. I didn't think it was anything but to make a long story short, I'm 40 years old, no and I mean NO family history of breast cancer and the lump turned out to be stage II invasive ductal breast cancer. So far I've had two surgeries and have to do chemo and radiation. Luckily I caught it early. Turns out that the tumor was hormone receptive (meaning hormones fed it) and go figure that the HCG was making it grow RAPIDLY so..................just a warning out there for anyone taking this. I did lose weight. It worked wonderfully in that aspect. However had I known that taking this drug would cause my cells to start growing strangely and would cause this tumor to grow, I would have never taken it. I just want to give the ladies out there taking this a heads up...................