HCG diet advice

Hi All,
I am about to start the HCG diet and am looking for advice and information from others on the diet.

Here is my update and I hope it helps.
Many have written and asked for updates about progress while being on HCG. Here is my personal update. I am a diabetic who is on insulin. I began Phase 2, injecting HCG sub q on October 12th. On October 14th after the first two day protocol of eating lots of food, I dropped to an intake of 500 calories. Today, November 12th, I have lost a total of 15 pounds. Were there times that I felt hunger? Yes! I drank the Yerba Mate Tea during those times and that seemed to help. Were there days I felt tired? Yes! My energy levels at times were very low. But not so low that I could not move. I still managed to bowl and walk. Have I lost inches along with the pounds? Yes, many inches. My profile looks like a different person. Did I have plateaus during the protocol? Yes, several. In fact, I have not taken off any pounds in 4 days now. I still have over a week to go before the 40 day HCG is done. You will have plateau's.
Did my insulin levels drop? Yes? I decreased my insulin by another 5 units and my blood pressure has been lower than ever before. Will I try another round of HCG in an effort to lose the remaining 30 pounds I have to lose? Indeed so...and without a doubt. I have tried many many ways to lose weight over the last several years. None were ever successful as is this protocol.
Good Luck to those of you who have opted to use HCG. I wish you the same success that I have achieved.

Hi DC7RN, welcome to the forum I hope you will like it here.

I don't remember having seen requests for updates on your diet but like to thank you for placing an account of developments anyway

I wish you success with the rest of the diet.

OK, so your diet is now over and you are in the maintenance stages. Stick to it! I messed up on the 2nd 3 weeks and gained some back. Ugg. My sister, though, went on a no sugar no flour no starch maintenance and has kept the weight off for several months. If you haven't disposed of your old fat clothing, do so. Nothing like tight pants to keep you on track!

Fantastic blog. I'm not diabetic, but was pre-diabetic and after weight loss I'm OK now. I had trouble on my second diet bout - maybe because I should have waited a few more weeks, or because I mis-mixed my second set of injections which left me hungery. Isn't it fun being thinner? Good luck!

Hi:

I've lost 50 lbs on this diet and think it's outstanding. It's strict and you shouldn't attempt the diet unless you understand that you can mess things up if you cheat. It's not an option on this diet. I used the most amazing cookbook which can be found at www.hcgdietassistant.com under service. WOW...I was even able to eat lemon cheese muffins on maintenance. Don't worry...they are starch and sugar free!

Hi,

I am so excited about the hCG protocol. I found a homeopathic doctor here locally who only starts his sessions once a month. I just missed April's cut off. Now, I have to wait until the 30th to begin. So, I'm contemplating just ordering my own sublingual drops and starting the diet. I've read Pounds and Inches. I see lots of helpful advice all over the internet, but I'm not able to find any where that tells me how to mix the sublingual vials or how much to use and when. Or, for that matter, how long. I think it's 23 days. Do you know where I would get that info. Do you think it's a good idea to jump into it on my own. I'm just too excited to wait. Do you have any suggestions about where to order it? I was thinking about ebay. There is a guy who has 4 vials (1 ounce each) of varying IU levels for $99.00. Online I found drugdelivery had ampules for $18 - $35, but I don't know what an ampule is. Advice? Ideas? or suggestions about where to get more details?

uvgottobekidding, there are a few great youtube videos that show exactly how to mix the sublingual. I can't remember ther person's name and I am on at work (youtube is blocked) so you will have to look it up. However, if you look under hcg and sublingual, it is easy to find.

On a side note. I have read the original diet protocol from Dr. Simeon and I have seen the results from my sister-in-law who is terribly obese (I am too). 22 lbs in 22 days so she is right on track. I have ordered the materials to start the diet myself, but I am terribly disturbed by Gary Trudeau's book. Does anyone else find it disturbingly weird? Dr. Simeon's information was straight forward, but Trudeau has phases, weird ideas about food, weird ideas about how to stay healthy. It just seems so pseudo-scientific. I wish I had never read it. I know some people rave about it (the book), so please don't take offense if you like it that much. I am just looking for clear answers and I did not get them from that book. I would love to talk with people about it, though.

I did the diet and lost not so much weight but lost sooooo much inches.... I lost about 15 lbs in 6 weeks lost the 10 lbs in 1 week the rest came off slow but as far as inches I lost alot of those good lck too all that aregoing on this diet but remember DO NOT CHEAT it only cheats you I made that mistake or I could of lost more it is not easy at times sticking to the diet as it is a low calorie intake the food how ever will taste lovely and it does pay in the end I have been off the diet now for 3 months and i have been able to keep the weight off....

Has any body ever contracted aids from bad urine. Just asking. I wnat to do the protocal more than you will ever know, but I have reservations.
I also would like to know about those pharmacy's for Indian,ete. Thank you

Can you eat sugar/fat free jello as a fruit on this diet

was also wondering if anyone could give be a breakdown of what you eat to stay within your 500 cal. I work far away from home during the day and on the road alot are there any fast food or eating out options.. thanks

I read Kevin Trudeau's book and Dr. Simeon's original manuscript, and I agree with you 100%. I started the protocol last week, without Trudeau's Phase I. I believe in eating fresh, healthy foods, but I don't go for all the organic stuff. So far, I feel good, and am not hungry. Dr. Simeon suggests taking the injections 6 days a week, so today is my day off HCG. A little bit hungry, but nothing I can't handle. My daughter just lost 75#'s in two rounds on this diet, so she is my inspiration.

My biggest concern is getting bored with the food. Any suggestions for creative "legal recipes"?

When my daughter ate out, she would be sure to go to a restaurant where she could order a grilled chicken breast and a salad with either Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Sometimes she would order a plain hamburger patty with her salad.

As for myself, what I do on the road is carry my own food. I'll make a salad and cut up a grilled or broiled chicken breast to put on top of the salad. I bring along Balsamic vinegar (which I love) to put on it, eat a bread stick with it, and I'm good until late afternoon when I eat an apple or an orange.

Hope this gives you some usefull suggestions.

Hi Chad,

I have started an online journal, and I intend to list my daily meals on it. Feel free to check it out if you think it will help.

sassybubbe.livejournal.com

Wow this drives me Crazy!

I must be the ONLY person in every Forum Room and Blog posting and Web site that noticed this incredible INACCURACY in what everybody quotes about the HCG protocols. I have NEVER seen anyone else anywhere talk about this or correct any, no Doctor, No nutritionist, no weight training expert and no personal trainers. The number of calories on the Simeons HCG diet is 1000 a day NOT 500!

Okay I will cover this slowly (read as fast as you wish I type slowly).

This is called the "Higgins HCG Conjecture."

Protein (fish, chicken, veal, shrimp, etc..) and ANY carbohydrate (APPLES, Grapefruit, Strawberries, lemon juice, etc..) has 4 calories per gram.

Fat has 9 calories per gram

Let's go through the math shall we?

200 grams a day of protein x 4 calories/g = 800 Calories (yup 200 x 4 = 800)
Then add 2 sweet apples(or strawberry equivalent) and some lemon juice (loaded with fructose - fruit sugar) on your vegetables AND add 1 slice of Melba Toast and that is another 200 calories.

So....
800 calories from meats
200 calories from fruits and bread
is a TOTAL of
1000 --- C A L O R I E S! NOT 500...

Yes folks you heard it here first from Jimmy Higgins.


QED

On a side note: 1 calorie of the 4 calories/gram of Protein is used in digesting the protein gram, so protein actually gives you an absolute value of 3 calories/gram if you want to get picky about it and carbs give you all 4 calories per gram.

Yup I can read as well as most can and YUP Dr. Simeon said 500 calories. And what is your point? Is he wrong and can't multiply or add correctly like I can? NO. Back in the 1970s, in Europe, they actually thought that the caloric amount of those foods in those amounts was 500 calories total.

History lesson: The Europeans of the 1970s (yeah he was in Italy) relied on food calorie computations recorded back in 1930s. However, by the 1970s here in the USA, the USDA created all new calorie computations using MUCH more accurate equipment, i.e. 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs. And the Europeans followed many years later. So the good Dr. was using the figures they had back then in Europe. But we know here in the 2009 USA, that protein and carbs actually have 4 calories /per gram. So the HCG diet is actually 1000 calories a day.

Seriously, no doctor, trainer, nutritionist, or anyone else who ever read the protocols and used the diet realized they were actually taking 1000 calories a day except I? Wow, the Higgins HCG Conjecture proves it to be true. Please tell all your friends and others about the Higgins HCG Conjecture.

Just sayin'

Bad urine? Why would you want to know that? What has this diet got to do with urine?

Here's the bottom line: If it works, who cares how many calories it really is? I've been on it for 4 weeks, lost 20#'s, feel great, not hungry. I'm certainly not going to count the calories.

Sassybubbe

If you read his manuscript then you would know that it states 100 grams of certain FOODS and NOT protien. We are all smart enough to know that there are 4kcals in prot and carbs and 9 in fat. You can make a point even if it is wrong without trying to make others look foolish!

I too did HCG and lost 33 lbs, I was tired at times and hungry at times. I found what works and what does not for me. I love lemon water for my on this diet. I love how I lost so much in inches! Size 20 to 12, yahoo!
I am going another round to lose my stomach, and so excited to start again, and drink tons of Yerba mate tea. I don't have trouble stablalizing at 135 lbs at all.
Don't go on it if you are not ready to commit 100 percent to this, it is only 40 days, you can do this!
Karen

Sorry, that's NOT the original protocol. It's one you've made up.

.......... I also have a fitness background and my friend who is an internal medicine doctor believe this is an amazing protocol. A 500 calorie diet without the HCG would be a bad idea. However with the HCG it is safe.

So thanks for your wealth of knowledge!

Hi there, I find your post interesting and see where you are coming from with your post. However, I actually read the food labels of everything and add it to a personal calorie log on Sparkpeople (a free diet site that allows you to log nutrition).

I follow the protocol as stated in Pounds and Inches to limit to 500 calories, but calculate my calories accurately based on food labels or a calorie counting book (for fresh fruits and veggies). I weigh everything so I do not "eyeball" the size of the fruit, I go by oz. or grams. I'm rather obsessive and anal-retentive about it.

Anyway, point being that I do indeed stick with 500 calories and I follow the diet exactly. I've been losing between 2-3 lbs a day. Definitely not doing 1000 cal.

Here is today's caloric intake for example:

Morning:

Regular Coffee, 1.5 cup (8 fl oz) 4 calories
Milk, 2%, 0.5 fl oz 8 calories
Herbal Tea, 12 fl oz 4 calories
Truvia Natural Sweetener, 1 0 calories

Lunch:

Talapia, 3.5 oz 128 calories
Romaine Lettuce 2 cups 16 calories
Balsamic Vinegar, 2 tbsp 16 calories

egg beaters egg whites, 4 serv 100 calories
Spinach, fresh, 6 leaf 14 calories
Roma Tomato, 1 serving 11 calories
Zevia Natural Cola, 12 oz 0 calories

Daily Snacks:
Iceberg Lettuce 0.5 cup 4 calories
Salsa, 3 tbsp 13 calories

Gluten Free Breadsticks-1 serv. 60 calories
Apple, 0.75 med. (2-3/4" dia) 61 calories
Total calories=427 cal.