Miscellaneous Information about Hcg, JUDDD, and MTC

As mentioned in my previous post, last night I was able to share with a group of whole food foodies how thankful I've been for the hcg protocol. I shared with them that eating good whole foods was great, but that I was not a person who was able to lose weight while doing so. I knew that if I could get the weight off I could keep it off eating real foods.

Below is some of the information I shared with the group. I'm posting it here so that they can access it, and perhaps it will be helpful to some of you as well.

Detoxing

Many of you already know that Kevin Trudeau gave the Hcg Protocol its "phases". Dr Simeons just had "The Diet", three weeks of no sugar and no starch, then three weeks of adding it back in. KT came up with the phases and added in the Detox Phase. Though the detox phase is not essential to the protocol I do think that it does help to cleanse the body so that the transition into the diet phase is easier. I personally followed the Eat Fat Lose Fat Diet for the health compromised from the book Eat Fat Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Eing.  I pushed myself and probably consuming more coconut oil than I should have at first which pushed my body into a major detox. I do NOT recommend that! BUT I do not think it hurts to cleanse your body by cutting out the bad foods, focusing on densely nourishing foods and adding in anti-candida foods like coconut oil for a period of time before starting the diet. That being said, would I have detoxed had I known about hcg?? Most likely NO. I would have charged into losing .5 - 1 pound a day!! But I didn't know about hcg when I did the health compromised diet, I only knew that I was in desperate need of losing weight and getting my health back.

JUDDD for slower weight loss.

I shared with the group that I realize that some people cannot wrap their heads around the strictness of the hcg protocol. It is NOT for everyone! But I do think that those who wish to lose at a slower pace with additional health benefits JUDDD is a great option. For more information on JUDDD visit:

http://www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com/

If you want to join a support group for JUDDD that I cannot say enough GOOD things about you'll want to join this forum:

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/juddd/

You can also purchase Dr. Johnsons book called The Alternate Day Diet. Most of the information you really need you will find on his website or through the JUDDD forum, so really the book is not a priority in my opinion.

The Hcg Protocol

See my previous post for a basic summary of the protocol.

This yahoo group is my favorite hcg group. In the files section you will find a copy of the entire Pounds & Inches Manuscript. Be sure to read the entire manuscript and take time to read over and over the section from "The Diet" through the end of the manuscript. The group owner provides an encouraging atmosphere where we help each other through the protocol as well as she takes time to post a lot of great information that will expand your health and nutrition horizons.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hcg2/

The very first hcg yahoo group I joined is the one below. You will find good information here. However, I find that I do not enjoy this group as much because there seems to be a negative tone. If you need straight forward protocol strict information then you might like this group. They do not discuss homeopathic hcg at all though.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HcgDieters/

Buying Hcg

The homeopathic hcg I used for my last round and am currently using on this round is listed below. You can get the original or the red labeled one that has B 12 added.  Often they offer "buy 2 get 1 free", PLUS free shipping. Making this the most affordable homeopathic hcg I've found.

http://store-ebde3.mybigcommerce.com/original-brand-hcg-drops-1-2-oz-bottle/

I've also used this homeopathic hcg:

http://www.easyhealthzone.com/h-c-g-plus-homeopathic-2oz-drops-nutri-dyn-p/hcg002.htm?click=71

Rx hcg can be a struggle to find. You can go through a local clinic which is very costly, usually $200 or more for a 30-40 day phase 2. I have used Rx and did buy it from overseas, but the company I purchased it from no longer offers it. If you are looking for Rx  and do not want to go through a local clinic I would suggest that you post on one of the yahoo groups I listed above and find out what the current sources are for Rx.

Made To Crave

I  highly recommend that while you are slimming your body down that you fight the spirital battle that food is for many of us. Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst is a great way to help you realize that food no longer needs to be an idol, stress relief, nor reward for you. I don't know if I'd be in agreement with the food plan she suggests but her devotional and the DVD is fabulous!  I have her bible study book and love it! You can visit her website for more information about the book:

http://madetocrave.org/

Hcg Protocol Summary

Last night I had the opportunity to talk about the hcg protocol at a local Makers Diet Meeting. I promised to get the group a summary of what was covered. This information will be on the groups website but until it is available there I wanted to post it here so the folks who were at the meeting can have access to the information.  Here is a summary of the protocol. I will make a separate post about where I purchase my homeopathic hcg , where Rx hcg can be found, a link to the original manuscript, and other information. Some of what you will read below is copied an pasted directly from the manuscript written by Dr. Simeons.

Hcg Protocol Information

Phases Recap:

Phase 1: Detox – completely NOT necessary, made up by a guy named Kevin Trudeau, not in the original protocol by Dr. Simeons.

Phase 2: 2 load days with hcg/drops, 21-40 days VLCD with drops, 2 days VLCD with no drops. Your last day with the drops will get your LDW=Last dose weight. This weight is important for you to track in Phase 3 & 4.

Phase 3: 3 weeks of no sugar and no starch. Must stay within -/+ 2 of your LDW. Details below.

Phase 4: 3 weeks slowly adding in sugar and starch. Must stay within -/+ 2 of your LDW. This phase gets longer with each round. Refer to the Pounds & Inches Manuscript for the correct time frame for each round.

A Round = loading, phase 2, phase 3 & phase 4.

NOTE with each round your total time of phase 3 & 4 lenghthens. Phase 3 is always 3 weeks but phase 4 gets longer. Here is the time frame listed out:

Round 1, P3 is 3 weeks, P4 is also 3 weeks.

Round 2. P3 is 3 weeks, P4 is 5 weeks.

Round 3, P3 is 3 weeks, P4 is 9 weeks

Round 4, P3 is 3 weeks, P4 is 17 weeks

Round 5, P3 is 3 weeks, and P4 is 21 weeks

Maintenance: For the rest of your life any time you go +2 of your LDW you will correct. If you do not monitor this you will not notice you are gaining based on how your clothes feel. The fat will be evenly distributed after following this protocol. So continue to weigh your self often and correct as needed.

Phase 2: You may want to take potassium 4-99 mg tablets a day. This is equivalent to a banana and will help prevent potassium deficiency. Magnesium can be taken to help keep the bowels regular. This is the ONLY food list, diet instructions you follow. There are a lot of modified versions out there, this is the correct one the one that will give you the highest level of success and greatest losses. This is a direct copy and paste from the Pounds & Inches Manuscript.

The Diet

The 500 calorie diet is explained on the day of the second injection to those patients who will be preparing their own food, and it is most important that the person who will actually cook is present - the wife, the mother or the cook, as the case may be. Here in Italy patients are given the following diet sheet.

Breakfast:	Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar. Only one tablespoonful of milk allowed in 24 hours. Saccharin or other sweeteners may be used.
Lunch:	1. 100 grams of veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp. All visible fat must be carefully removed before cooking, and the meat must be weighed raw. It must be boiled or grilled without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. The chicken must be removed from the bird. 2. One type of vegetable only to be chosen from the following: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage. 3. One breadstick (grissino) or one Melba toast. 4. An apple or an orange or a handful of strawberries or one-half grapefruit.
Dinner :	The same four choices as lunch.

The juice of one lemon daily is allowed for all purposes. Salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, majoram, etc., may be used for seasoning, but no oil, butter or dressing.

Tea, coffee, plain water, mineral water are the only drinks allowed, but they may be taken in any quantity and at all times.

In fact the patient should drink about 2 liters of these fluids per day. Many patients are afraid to drink so much because they fear that this may make them retain more water. This is a wrong notion as the body is more inclined to store water when the intake falls below its normal requirements.

The fruit or the bread stick may be eaten between meals instead of with lunch or dinner, but not more than than four items listed for lunch and dinner may be eaten at one meal.

No medicines or cosmetics other than lipstick eyebrow pencil and powder may he used without special permission

Every item in the list is gone over carefully, continually stressing the point that no variations other than those listed may be introduced. All things not listed are forbidden, and the patient is assured that nothing permissible has been left out. The 100 grams of meat must he scrupulously weighed raw after all visible fat has been removed to do this accurately the patient must have a letter-scale, as kitchen scales are not sufficiently accurate and the butcher should certainly not be relied upon. Those not uncommon patients who feel that even so little food is too much for them, can omit anything they wish.

There is no objection to breaking up the two meals. For instance having a breadstick and an apple for breakfast or an orange before going to bed, provided they are deducted from the regular meals. The whole daily ration of two breadsticks or two fruits may not be eaten at the same time, nor can any item saved from the previous day be added on the following day. In the beginning patients are advised to check every meal again their diet sheet before starting to eat and not to rely on their memory. It is also worth pointing out that any attempt to observe this diet without HCG will lead to trouble in two to three days. We have had cases in which patients have proudly flaunted their dieting powers in front of their friends without mentioning the fact that they are also receiving treatment with HCG. They let their friends try the same diet, and when this proves to be a failure - as it necessarily must - the patient starts raking in unmerited kudos for superhuman willpower.

It should also be mentioned that two small apples weighing as much as one large one never the less have a higher caloric value and are therefore not allowed though there is no restriction on the size of one apple. Some people do not realize that a tangerine is not an orange and that thicken breast does not mean the breast of any other fowl, nor does it mean a wing or drumstick.

The most tiresome patients are those who start counting Calories and then come up with all manner of ingenious variations which they compile from their little books. When one has spent years of weary research trying to make a diet as attractive as possible without jeopardizing the loss of weight, culinary geniuses who are out to improve their unhappy lot are hard to take.

TIPS we have learned through our rounds:

1. Drink a minimum of 1 gallon of plain water a day if you want to have the best and most consistent losses.
2. Your melba/grassini must only = 20 calories a serving for a total of 40 calories a day.
3. To figure out how many calories you are consuming in a day you total your protein servings, fruit, and melba/grassini then you fill in the rest of the calories with your 2 servings of vegetables. You will get to eat a LOT of veggies.
4. You will have days of where you do not loose, you might gain, or you loose very little. These fluctuations in the losses are common. Just continue with the protocol and increase your water. You can read exactly what Dr. Simeons says about these issues and why they happen in the manuscript.
5. You can divide up your food portions during the day. Example: breakfast: coffee & fruit, Lunch: protein & veggie, afternoon snack: fruit & grassini, Dinner: protein, veggie & melba.
6. You may experience these detox symptoms for the first few days – 10 days of the diet: head ache, nausea, irritability, over all yucky feeling, cravings, hunger, etc. These are normal and will pass more quickly if you drink a lot of water. OTC pain killers can be used for the head ache. Hot tea/coffee tends to help with the hunger.

Planned Interruption: What if you have to stop the diet for some reason in the middle of phase 2. You must do a planned interruption. If you eat normally while taking hcg you will GAIN VERY QUICKLY!! A planned interruption is not to be done until you have had at 21 effective hcg doses. Please referr to the manuscript for the further details. This is a summary of how you do a planned interruption:

1. Stop drops and weigh. That weight will be your LDW for your planned interruption.
2. Do 48-72 hours VLCD from your last dose, make sure not to take any more drops. (a minimum of 48 hours for homeopathic and 72 hours for Rx)
3. Start Phase 3 type eating for the duration of your interruption.
4. Interruptions that last less than 14 days will allow you to resume the VLCD and drops any day you choose.
5. Interruptions that last more that 14 days will require you to eat normally for the first 2 days you resume dosing then start the VLCD.
6. I recommend that you do not to interruptions longer than 13 days and that you focus on a lot of healthy fat/protein/veggies/lower glycemic fruits, etc. in order to maintain you losses well.
7. If you choose to eat whatever you want during an interruption you will gain. It is not required that you eat Ph 3 style for an interruption it is simply recommended if you don't want to gain weight while on your interruption.

Phase 3: No sugar NO starch for THREE weeks.

For 3 weeks you will stay within 2 pounds either side of your LDW. If you go above +2 you correct by doing a correction day. More details on correction days below. If you do below -2 of our LDW you will add in some extra fruit.

You have to be cautious during this time of even naturally occuring sugars. You will stabilize best if you eat a diet filled with fat, protein, veggies and berries with limited dairy and nuts. Below is a list of ideas to get you started.

Fat: butter, coconut oil, and lard for cooking. Olive oil and no sugar mayonnaise for your salad dressings. Once again, make your own dressings because most store bought dressings have sugar/high fructose corn(hfc) syrup in them.

Protein: eggs, bacon, sausage (no sugar), all forms of beef, chicken with the skin on, fatty fish or lean fish swimming in butter, all forms of pork.

Vegetables: greens, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, basically any vegetable that is not high in sugar or starch. Avoid carrots, peas, potatoes, and winter squash until Phase 4.

Dairy: whipping cream (in coffee or whipped up over fresh/frozen berries), butter, full fat sour cream, full fat yogurt, full fat Greek yogurt, or full fat cheese. Do not drink milk during this phase, milk has too much natural sugar in the form of lactose. You must make sure that any dairy you do use does not have ANY ADDED sugar. All dairy has some naturally occurring carbs/sugar. So read the ingredient list, if no sugar/hfc is added then you can have it!

Fruit: start with berries then add in other lower glycemic fruits. Avoid melons, grapes, banana's, some tropical fruits, and other high sugar fruits until Phase 4.

Nuts: use cautiously and in moderation. Like no more than 1 oz a day.

So how does this look for a daily menu?

Breakfast: 2-3 eggs fried or scrambled in a couple tablespoons of butter, or an omlet loaded with veggies and an ounce of cheese. 2-3 pieces of bacon. Whipping Cream in your coffee.Whole milk kefir is a great way to start your day too. 

Snack: ONLY if you are hungry: ½ cup of yogurt and a couple tablespoons of fresh or frozen berries.

Lunch: Large serving of protein cooked in fat. Vegetables, if steamed add 1-2 TBSP of butter, if fresh slather with olive oil dressings.

Snack: ONLY if hungry: protein: like hard boiled egg, 1 oz of cheese, apple with nut butter (if you do ok with nuts)etc.

Dinner: Same as lunch.

Snack: ONLY if you are hungry. ½ cup berries fresh or frozen with ¼ cup whipping cream and sweetener.

Phase 4: You will continue to find your food balance. You will add in sugar and starch gradually. Always making sure you stay within the -/+2 of your LDW. You will do this by adding in a piece of toast, a serving of oatmeal with butter or part of a potato slathered with butter and sour cream periodically and see how you do. If you go above +2 you correct by doing a correction day. More details on correction days below. If you do below -2 of our LDW you will add in some extra fruit.

Correction Days:

Please note: correction days are only used during ph 3, ph 4 and maintenance. You NEVER do a correction day during the VLCD.

In the pounds and inches manuscript there is only one type of correction day listed for when you go +2 above your LDW: This is commonly referred to as a steak day. You will choose a large steak between 22-26 ounces to eat no earlier than 4 p.m. Along with an apple or a tomato. You can season your steak and cook it in oil/butter if you desire. You MUST drink a lot of water during the day but nothing else with the exception of a cup of coffee w/ cream for breakfast. Here is how Dr. Simeons describes it:

Skipping a Meal

As long as their weight stays within two pounds of the weight reached on the day of the last injection, patients should take no notice of any increase but the moment the scale goes beyond two pounds, even if this is only a few ounces, they must on that same day entirely skip breakfast and lunch but take plenty to drink. In the evening they must eat a huge steak with only an apple or a raw tomato. Of course this rule applies only to the morning weight. Ex-obese patients should never check their weight during the day, as there may be wide fluctuations and these are merely alarming and confusing.

It is of utmost importance that the meal is skipped on the same day as the scale registers an increase of more than two pounds and that missing the meals is not postponed until the following day. If a meal is skipped on the day in which a gain is registered in the morning this brings about an immediate drop of often over a pound. But if the skipping of the meal - and skipping means literally skipping not just having a light meal - is postponed the phenomenon clues not occur and several days of strict dieting may be necessary to correct the situation.

Most patients hardly ever need to skip a meal. If they have eaten a heavy lunch they feel no desire to eat their dinner, and in this case no increase takes place. If they keep their weight at the point reached at the end of the treatment, even a heavy dinner does not bring about an increase of two pounds on the next morning and does not therefore call for any special measures. Most patients are surprised bow small their appetite has become and yet how much they can eat without gaining weight. They no longer suffer from an abnormal appetite and feel satisfied with much less food than before. In fact, they are usually disappointed that they cannot manage their first normal meal, which they have been planning for weeks.

Over the years there have been many hcg users that have developed other types of correction days. Listed here are several others you can try if a steak day won't work for you:

Steak Day and Alternative Correction Days:

1. Steak Day- Skip breakfast and lunch, then eat a steak (between 12-24 ozs) and either a tomato or an apple for dinner.

2. Egg Day- Between 8-12 eggs. Focus on the eggs and add only enough fat to make the eggs tolerable.

3. Chicken Day- You can either do this like a steak day, skipping breakfast and lunch or eat the chicken all day long. Concentrate on the dark meat, but eat the white if still hungry. Some people will eat chicken thighs all day instead of a whole chicken. Try rolling them in olive oil and parmesan cheese and baking them.

4. Nut day- High fat nuts (raw) eaten all day. Macadamias and pecans are high fat nuts.

5. High fat day- Example: salmon eaten all day with little added oil to cook.

6. Protein shake day- Make sure it is a good brand with no added sugar and drink 4-5 shakes along with some added heavy cream and berries (just enough to make it taste good). Use 1/4-1/3 cup whipping cream and ½ cup berries in each shake.

7. Greek Yogurt day – Full fat greek yogurt (*must* be full fat), add a couple oz of berries per serving. 4 servings of 8 oz each.

Maintenance:

Continue to monitor you weight often. If you go above +2 you must correct right away. It is fine at this point to start another round or loose weight in any way you see fit. BUT if you want to maintain for life you will correct any time you go over the +2.

Planned Interruption

A planned interruption is an interruption in the VLCD treatment days. Dr. Simeons referred to it as Unforeseen Interruptions of treatment and here is a copy and paste direct quote of what Dr. Simeons says about it:

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 third day, as otherwise he will find himself so hungry and weak that he is unable to go about his usual occupation. If the interval lasts 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 third injection.
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 injections three days before he is due to leave so that he can have the three days of strict dieting which are necessary after the last injection at home. This saves him from the almost impossible task of having to arrange the 500 Calorie diet while en route, and he can thus enjoy a much greater dietary freedom from the day of his departure. Interruptions occurring before 20 effective injections have been given are most undesirable, because with less than that number of injections some weight is liable to be regained. After the 20th injection an unavoidable interruption is merely a loss of time.

I have used planned interruptions for sanity sake more so than because of traveling or schedule issues. My first round I did a Planned interruption at about day 25 for 10 days. During those 10 days I ate mainly phase 3 style meaning no sugar/no starch. I did not count calories. I ate plenty of fat, protein, veggies, dairy and fruit. I maintained my weight fairly well. The morning I resumed the VLCD I was 3 pounds above where I was on the last dose before the planned interruption. I lost weight the first few days back on the VLCD/hcg just like I did my first week during the VLCD/hcg at the beginning of the round. The planned interruption did not slow my weight loss. I maintained an average loss of .82 a day over that 57 day round. I did 25 days pre interruption then another 32 days post interruption. Transitioned into phase 3 and stabilized like a rock!

This interruption I have had a few sugars and starches as well. I haven't weighed for a few days and probably won't weigh until after my first VLCD. I expect that I have gained b/c I have REALLY enjoyed my food, plus I have had my TOM! LOL! BUT I'm not concerned about the gain since it will come off very quickly once I resume the VLCD.

I have personally experienced great success with Planned Interruptions. They give me the much needed break from the VLCD foods along with the opportunity to load my body with healthy fats and protein which the VLCD lacks. I am currently sick of eating this way and ready to go back to the VLCD and finishing out my round. I remember feeling the exact same way during the PI I did my first round.

Some of the tips I share with people so they can have successful Planned Interruptions are:

1. Interruptions should not take place before 20 VLCD with hcg. So day 21 VLCD would be the first day you'd be allowed to do an interruption. If you take a planned interruption before then, you may have issues with regaining weight very quickly.

2. You must do the transition from VLCD/hcg just like you do when transitioning into phase 3. You will take your last dose in the morning ONLY, do the VLCD that day plus 2 more days, then start eating phase 3 style.

3. Dr. Simeons did not say that we must avoid sugar and starch during a planned interruption. He does say that we must eat AT LEAST 800 calories. If you avoid sugar and starch you will maintain your weight loss. If you chose to eat it, plan to gain and have to re-lose some weight when you resume the VLCD. I do recommend that you focus on healthy fat, lots of protein, mixing veggies, fresh fruit, and full fat dairy when on a planned interruption.

4. If your planned interruption is LESS than 14 days from the day 1 of eating phase 3 style, meaning not counting the transition days, then you simply chose your start date and continue with the VLCD/hcg. If your planned interruption lasts LONGER than 14 days then you need to "eat normally" for two days WHILE taking the hcg. NOTE: Dr. S says "eat normally" NOT gorge! So, you do NOT load again when you are ready to start the VLCD.

If you are considering doing an off protocol length round. That means you plan to do more than 40 VLCD's with hcg, you may want to consider a planned interruption at some point during your phase 2. I think the VLCD is really tough on the body. The low fat and limited food selections cause our thyroid and adrenals to be stressed along with our bodies practically being protein deficient with only 200 grams of protein a day. That is why I recommend a Planned interruption during longer rounds. It will allow your body to be deeply nourished so that you will maintain better health while you are trying to lose effectively.

NEW Favorite Phase 2 Beverage

Many people are addicted to diet sodas. They are VERY bad for you for many reasons but the one that I consider the most prominent reason is that the artificial sweeteners communicate to your body that you are hungry and they make you crave foods. THAT is REALLY bad while on the VLCD.

On one of the yahoo groups I read often someone suggested plain carbonated water with flavored stevia drops. I finally found some seltzer water that had no sodium and no sweetener. It is simply bubbly water. I took it home to chill and have had LOTS of fun experimenting with various flavored stevia's to make my own sugar free, sodium free Soda!

Thus far my favorites have been:

Vanilla Cream Stevia = Cream Soda
Root Beer Stevia = Root Beer
Orange Valencia Stevia = Orange soda
Orange Valencia AND Vanilla Cream Stevias = Orange Creamsicle Soda

So, if you are really in the mood for a soda treat that would be acceptable for phase 2. Start stocking up on stevia (the top shelf of my refrigerator looks like a stevia store add), and enjoy making your own sensational soda with unflavored, unsweetened and unsalted club or seltzer water! Oh, and when you are in phase 3 and cooking in coconut oil and butter daily making a greasy mess of your stove top. Put some of that plain soda on a sponge or cloth and it cleans up grease lickity split!! I keep plain seltzer water in a spray bottle for cleaning my stove top. It works better than ANY commercial cleaner on grease!

If you are not familiar with stevia, my favorite brand is Sweetleaf. You can purchase it online through Amazon, Vitacost and many other places. I always shop around for the cheapest prices. Some large grocery stores carry it and most health food stores do too. You will NOT find it at Walmart. Oh and please read labels on any other brand of stevia, especially the powdered ones. Some companies like "Stevia in the Raw" add SUGAR to the stevia. You cannot use a stevia product that has sugar added in it's raw form or in the form of maltodextrin. Be sure to purchase stevia that is just stevia.

Remember that when you first start to use stevia you must start with very small amounts or you will NOT like it. Most find it "bitter" at first. It took me a LONG time to learn how much I like on various foods. I used to HATE IT!! Now though I have come to really enjoy it. I think one reason is that my body no longer gets white, pure sugar.... so it is satisfied with fruit sugars and stevia. So do consider that it make take time for you to get used to using stevia and being satisfied with the level of sweetness it offers. Start with just a couple drops then increase little by little until it is just sweet enough but not bitter. If you struggle with the "bitterness" then try NOW Stevia Glycerite. I just bought my first bottle, but love my Sweetleaf flavors so much that I haven't tried it yet. :-)

Hope you are enjoying the Sweet Success of Phase 2!

Phase 2 Questions: WHY did I GAIN?? or WHY didn't I lose ANY weight today?

No, not me personally, but these are two of the most frequently asked question by folks, particularly women, on the yahoo groups and with the people I coach. Most people begin this protocol with the idea that they will lose weight EVERY SINGLE DAY! That DOES happen for some, but most of us have some days during phase 2 where we lose very little to nothing, AND sometimes we gain! Yes, even during the VLCD you CAN gain.

I am going to break it down to the most common 6 reasons people lose very little, stall, or gain. Read this over every time it happens to you so you can put your mind at ease. There are two others that I will not cover in great detail so will address here. Stress and lack of sleep can cause slow losses, gains, or stalls. Do some research on how important sleep is to weight loss, just google it and you will be shocked to discover that those who lose weight most consistently get the most rest each night. Stress is another factor because of what it does to our bodies at a cellular level. So, when you do gain, stall, or lose very little the very best thing you can do is relax and get a good nights rest! Now, to discuss in detail the other factors that CAN contribute to a gain, stall or very small losses. I say CAN because you will discover in the readings below that many times you will do absolutely NOTHING to "cause" a gain or stall. Sometimes it is just how your body is responding to the rate of fat reduction. I do find it helpful though to understand what could have happened so I can make the appropriate changes.

Water flow: other wise known as Urine Output

Here is a direct quote from the Pounds & Inches Manuscript by Dr. Simeons:

"Fluctuations in weight loss

After the fourth or fifth day of dieting the daily loss of weight begins to decrease to one pound or somewhat less per day, and there is a smaller urinary output. Men often continue to lose regularly at that rate, but women are more irregular in spite of faultless dieting. There may be no drop at all for two or three days and then a sudden loss which reestablishes the normal average. These fluctuations are entirely due to variations in the retention and elimination of water, which are more marked in women than in men.
The weight registered by the scale is determined by two processes not necessarily synchronized. Under the influence of HCG, fat is being extracted from the cells, in which it is stored in the fatty tissue. When these cells are empty and therefore serve no purpose, the body breaks down the cellular structure and absorbs it, but breaking up of useless cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, etc., may lag behind the process of fat-extraction. When this happens the body appears to replace some of the extracted fat with water which is retained for this purpose. As water is heavier than fat the scales may show no loss of weight, although sufficient fat has actually been consumed to make up for the deficit in the 500-Calorie diet. When then such tissue is finally broken down, the water is liberated and there is a sudden flood of urine and a marked loss of weight. This simple interpretation of what is really an extremely complex mechanism is the one we give those patients who want to know why it is that on certain days they do not lose, though they have committed no dietary error."


This means that you will be able to see the amount of weight lost in comparison to how many times you visit the bathroom. This recently happened to me. On day 8 I only lost .2, on day nine only .4. During day 9 I was running to the bathroom all day, so it was no great surprise for me to see a drop of 2.2 pounds today.

Dr. Simeons also warns us that if we do not drink enough water we will not reduce as well. I recommend that people drink 1 gallon minimum every day while on the VLCD. Here is what Dr. S says:

"Water
Patients are usually hard to convince that the amount of water they retain has nothing to do with the amount of water they drink. When the body is forced to retain water, it will do this at all costs. If the fluid intake is insufficient to provide all the water required, the body withholds water from the kidneys and the urine becomes scanty and highly concentrated, imposing a certain strain on the kidneys. If that is insufficient, excessive water will be with-drawn from the intestinal tract, with the result that the feces become hard and dry. On the other hand if a patient drinks more than his body requires, the surplus is promptly and easily eliminated. Trying to prevent the body from retaining water by drinking less is therefore not only futile but even harmful."

Hormone Fluctuations

Many women who are still of menstruating age find that they can have gains, stalls, or very little loses around the time of ovulation and their monthly period. I always tell women to expect to gain stall or lose very little around their TOM and ovulation so they are not surprised when or if it happens. There are also many women that end up conceiving while taking the hCG.

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about it:

"Menstrual Interruption
The fourth type of interruption is the one which often occurs a few days before and during the menstrual period and in some women at the time of ovulation. It must also be mentioned that when a woman becomes pregnant during treatment - and this is by no means uncommon - she at once ceases to lose weight. An unexplained arrest of reduction has on several occasions raised our suspicion before the first period was missed. If in such cases, menstruation is delayed, we stop injecting and do a precipitation test five days later. No pregnancy test should be carried out earlier than five days after the last injection, as otherwise the HCG may give a false positive result."



Touching Fat

Many struggle to believe that simply by touching fat they can throw the delicate balance of fat burning off. You can encounter fat by preparing your own meat servings, serving butter or coconut oil to your other family members, using lotion, or other hair skin and body products that contain nutritional oils.

When preparing food I have chosen to be cautious and wear gloves. You can pick up a box of medical gloves at any pharmacy. Wear them any time you are preparing food that has fat in it. I know it is a pain, but if it keeps you consistently losing fat is it worth it?

When choosing your bath, body, and facial products simply make sure there are no nutritional oils listed in the ingredient panel. We are fortunate because most of the products the average person uses consists of chemicals and mineral oil. Back in Dr. Simeons day they used nutritional oils in their body products and make-up. You will most likely be able to continue the use of all your bath, body, and facial products if they contain no nutritional oils. Remember, if you wouldn't eat it, it is fine to use!

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about how the absorption of fat through our skin effects our weight reduction:

"Cosmetics
When no dietary error is elicited we turn to cosmetics. Most women find it hard to believe that fats, oils, creams and ointments applied to the skin are absorbed and interfere with weight reduction by HCG just as if they had been eaten. This almost incredible sensitivity to even such very minor increases in nutritional intake is a peculiar feature of the HCG method. For instance, we find that persons who habitually handle organic fats, such as workers in beauty parlors, masseurs, butchers, etc. never show what we consider a satisfactory loss of weight unless they can avoid fat coming into contact with their skin."

Exercise and The "Common Cold"

Many of us start to feel so energetic as the blubber flees forever that we think we can take on the world. For some of us, it is the first time in years we actually FEEL like exercising. It is not wise to start a new exercise routine while on the VLCD. You can try some light walking from time to time, but adding an exercise routine will undoubtedly cause gains and stalls. If you are already exercising regularly you can continue your normal work out routine. However, you may find that you do not have the energy or endurance to do as strenuous of a workout as you are used to. Be willing to stop when you feel tired or you will also experience gains and stalls.

The same water retention occurs when we get a cold. You usually do not realize that when you get sick you have inflammation in your body. That inflammation causes you to gain weight. Most of us don't ever realize it because until we started hcg we NEVER weighed ourselves daily. We avoided the scale when we were overweight or obese. So be prepared for gains and stalls even when you get a common cold. Severe infections will cause more trouble to the releasing of weight. Make sure that any medicines or cough drops you use are sugar and starch free.

Here is what Dr. Simeons says about it:

"We encourage swimming and sun bathing during treatment, but it should be remembered that a severe sunburn always produces a temporary rise in weight, evidently due to water retention. The same may be seen when a patient gets a common cold during treatment. Finally, the weight can temporarily increase - paradoxical though this may sound - after an exceptional physical exertion of long duration leading to a feeling of exhaustion. A game of tennis, a vigorous swim, a run, a ride on horseback or a round of golf do not have this effect; but a long trek, a day of skiing, rowing or cycling or dancing into the small hours usually result in a gain of weight on the following day, unless the patient is in perfect training. In patients coming from abroad, where they always use their cars, we often see this effect after a strenuous day of shopping on foot, sightseeing and visits to galleries and museums. Though the extra muscular effort involved does consume some additional Calories, this appears to be offset by the retention of water which the tired circulation cannot at once eliminate."


Salt

I am a big fan of REAL mineral rich salt. If you used the white salt, or white sea salt I would highly recommend that you go to your local health food store and find some Redmond REAL salt. This salt will nourish your body! It is loaded with minerals and it will have no negative effects on your blood pressure. Dr. Simeons does say that sometimes patients will notice a stall or gain due to a change in their salt habits. Our family uses a LOT of REAL salt so it is never a problem for us. But if you are not used to salt in your diet and all of a sudden increase your intake it could throw things out of balance for a day or two.

Here is a quote from Dr. Simeons about salt intake while on the VLCD:

"Salt and Reducing
While we are on the subject of salt, I can take this opportunity to explain that we make no restriction in the use of salt and insist that the patients drink large quantities of water
72
throughout the treatment. We are out to reduce abnormal fat and are not in the least interested in such illusory weight losses as can be achieved by depriving the body of salt and by desiccating it. Though we allow the free use of salt, the daily amount taken should be roughly the same, as a sudden increase will of course be followed by a corresponding increase in weight as shown by the scale. An increase in the intake of salt is one of the most common causes for an increase in weight from one day to the next. Such an increase can be ignored, provided it is accounted for. It in no way influences the regular loss of fat."

Constipation

Dr. Simeons warns us that we might not see our bowels move often during the VLCD. That is because we are taking in so little food that our body is using it optimally. If you struggle with constipation consider using magnesium. Magnesium will naturally get the bowels moving, start with about 1000 mg and increase by 400-500mg every few hours until you start to cleanse. If it continues to be a problem you can figure out what your daily dose should be by taking however much is needed to get the bowels moving, then the next day reduce the dose by 1 pill and continue this pattern until you are having regular movements daily.

"Constipation
An excess of water keeps the feces soft, and that is very important in the obese, who commonly suffer from constipation and a spastic colon. While a patient is under treatment we never permit the use of any kind of laxative taken by mouth. We explain that owing to the restricted diet it is perfectly satisfactory and normal to have an evacuation of the bowel only once every three to four days and that, provided plenty of fluids are taken, this never leads to any disturbance. Only in those patients who begin to fret after four days do we allow the use of a suppository. Patients who observe this rule find that after treatment they have a perfectly normal bowel action and this delights many of them almost as much as their loss of weight."

One more topic must be covered but I think it merits its own post........CHEATING. I will write a separate post on cheating, how and why it effects our losses and some tips on how to avoid the temptation.

Ordering hCG and Dosing Supplies

There are 3 ways to dose hCG.

Homeopathic:

Homeopathic has very little real hCG in it. It is made just like all homeopathics. Make sure you understand how homeopathics work before you choose to buy hhcg. There may not be homeopathic hcg on the market for much longer. Recently the FDA has started to crack down on homeopathic hcg distributors.

Here is the one our family used for the first two rounds:

http://www.easyhealthzone.com/h-c-g-plus-homeopathic-2oz-drops-nutri-dyn-p/hcg002.htm?click=71

There is no scientific proof that homeopathic hcg works as well as real prescription (RX) hcg. Some people are not able to use homeopathic, it simply does not work for them. I did not have any concerns about hhcg until my second round when I experienced hunger the entire round, then struggled to stabilize in phase 3 & 4.

If you choose to use homeopathic, be sure to dose at 6 drops 3 times a day, NOT 10-15 drops 3-6 times a day, like most bottles say. They just want to sell you more drops.

DO NOT EVER use Hormone-Free hcg. That means it has NO hcg, meaning it is not hcg, meaning it will not effect your hypothalamus and you will be losing weight by starving your body not by mobilizing and burning fat. You will know if you have a true homeopathic by seeing this listed in the ingredient panel: hCG 12X 30X 60X or something very similar. If all it has listed are vitamins, minerals and aminos it is NOT hcg! Please do no hurt your body by using a product that is not going to do what is needed to mobilize fat.

Prescription (RX) hCG

Order your prescription hcg from:

http://www.alldaychemist.com/

The name brand of hcg that you order does not matter. Just make sure to NOT order the pre-mixed. hCG is only potent for about 3 weeks after mixing. If you order the pre-mixed you have no idea how long it has been mixed and it may very well have lost it's potency before you even receive it.

For Sublingual - under the tongue - dosing.

Order 5000 IU viles. You'll add 20 CC of Sodium Chloride or Saline Wound Wash. You will NOT shake it or jostle it. And you will need to store it in the refrigerator. You will dose 125 IU, which is .5 on an insulin needle, two times a day.

For Injecting

Order 2000 IU viles and the sterile injecting solution. I have not injected so if you ant injection mixing and dosing advice go to:



They have directions on mixing in the files section of the group.

Supplies for RX use:

Sublingual: You will need mixing needles that are 10 ml - 30 ml. You will need a dosing syringe that has a .5 marking, insulin syringes or 3cc syringes work. You will also need a dark colored bottle for mixing and storing it. I used an old stevia bottle that I cleaned out and sterilized. I bought all my syringes at Fleet Farm, they are down the cattle isle and are very inexpensive. They come in 3 packs for less than $2 and you only need one 3 pack of mixing syringes and one of the 3cc dosing. You can re-use the dosing syring for sublingual use.

Injecting:
Since I have never injected... I HATE needles.... I don't offer guidance in this area. You can contact Michele at:

http://www.micheles-hcg-supplies.com/

or Sara at:

http://www.hcgonyourown.com/skinny_me-c_005.htm

Both of these ladies have experience with the protocol and have sublingual and injection kits available. If you don't want to buy from them directly you can at least see exactly what is needed then shop around.

Phase 2 tips for success - Part 2

Losing Pounds AND Inches

Please take a picture of yourself at the start of your round. One from the front and one from the side. You will be so encouraged to see how much your body will change each round even IF you don't lose a lot the inches lost are amazing. That also means you MUST measure yourself at the beginning of your first round post load. Measure every body part that you look forward to seeing shrink. :-) Some day soon I'll post my inch losses and you will see how exciting it is!

Make sure that you try on your "skinny" clothes often. I missed wearing many of my in-between sizes because I didn't try on clothes often enough. I have donated 10 bags of clothes between the sizes of 20 & 12 throughout my journey so far. While you are shrinking if your closet does not accommodate your shrinking self I would recommend that you visit thrift stores like St. Vincent, Good Will, and other local second hand shops. At the end of round 2 I went shopping, spend about $130 on a completely new wardrobe, shoes included. I'm talking 3 pairs jeans, 4 pairs dress slacks, multiple tops, sweaters, casual and dressy blouses, skirts, suits, and dresses. I have more clothes now than I EVER have and I got them very cheaply. I could not justify spending lots of money on clothes I knew I'd only wear for about 4 months. Some clothes I've bought along the way have already been re-donated. Since I only spent about $2 on each item, the most was $8 and that is usually for a brand new clothing item with the original store tags still on, I don't mind re-donating them.

Weighing Daily

In Dr. Simeons day he was seeing his patients daily for weigh in and injections. He closely monitored their daily losses so he could confront any cheating, inadvertent exposure to oils, or other issues. In my opinion, weighing daily throughout the first week is VERY important. The VLCD is so restrictive that it is very easy to feel sorry for yourself. BUT then you get on the scale and see the weight melting off!!! That makes every 100 g portion of meat over plain lettuce so much more worth it!

Now, if you are a VERY slow loser, some are, you might do better not weighing daily. For many of us losing weight is just as much a mental battles as it is a battle of the bulge. Throughout your weight loss journey you will have days that you do not lose, we call them mini-stalls or stalls, you will have days you have very small gains, and some days of very small losses. This can be hard for some people to handle emotionally. I recommend that if you KNOW you are not cheating, if you KNOW you are drinking your water, if you KNOW you are not exposing yourself to nutritional oils, if you head is fully in the gain then don't weigh daily. By weighing weekly after week 1 you will almost ALWAYS see a loss. There are some that experience long stalls that last 2 weeks or more, Dr. Simeons explains why in the protocol and I will talk more about stalls below. So, if you are totally into the phase 2 mode then go ahead and don't weigh yourself every day.

Stalls, Plateaus, and Gains

Guess what... EVERYONE experiences stalls, EVERYONE usually has tiny gains, and EVERYONE will reach a point where they think they have plateaued. People usually head into this protocol thinking... "I'm going to lose 1 pound a day EVERY day" because of how the homeopathic websites promote the protocol. For most that is NOT true. Most of us experience all the above at one time or another. Remember, Dr. Simeons tells us that men can average 1 pound a day loss and women usually average .5 a day. The problem is most of us lose at least 1 pound a day during the first week and we expect it to continue. BUT Dr. Simeons says that if you are averaging 1 pound a day most hit a stall. It is like the body has to catch up to the quick losses.

I tell people to expect to lose a lot the first week, then EXPECT it to slow down. EXPECT to have slight gains, and EXPECT to have stalls.

Why do gains and stalls happen?? Sometimes they just DO. Sometimes you have done absolutely NOTHING wrong. So why then? Hormone fluctuations, time of month, ovulation, water retention due to exercise, sunburn or not drinking enough water, stress, lack of sleep, etc. These are some of the things that can cause slight gains or stalls.

Bottom line... RELAX, when it happens, just move on and know the scale will start moving downward when your body is ready for it to. There are NO correction days for gains in phase 2. You can do an apple day if your stall lasts longer than 5 days BUT many find that apple days do not work.

Cheating

First allow me to define what cheating is on this protocol. Cheating is taking one bite, lick, nibble or pinch of any food that is NOT on the food list or eating MORE than is allowed on the food list. Cheating is Cheating. There is no way to correct a cheat other than forgiving yourself and committing to doing the protocol right from now on. You MUST NOT allow a cheat to cause you to spiral into a binge. WALK AWAY FROM THE FOOD! Go to your computer and read, re-read and focus on the protocol. Go to some hcg yahoo group and look at before and after picture. Determine in your heart and mind that cheating again is SO not and option for you. Then MOVE ON!

When you cheat you may GAIN 2 pounds or more over one bite of macaroni and cheese, one cheese stick, and extra apple, an extra melba, etc. AND it might take you 3-7 days to lose it then start losing more. So, is it worth it???? Some cheat and are lucky, they don't gain.... right away. My son is a cheater. Some days when he cheats he will still lose BUT after several days of cheating in a row he will eventually gain and stall.

This protocol is strict,YES! BUT it is only 40 days... common... you can do anything for 40 days..... especially if it leads to you shrinking right?! DO NOT CHEAT!

Make up, Bath & Body Products, Lip Balm

In Dr. Simeons day body products and make up were made from real food items. Today the majority of our bath and body products are made from chemicals. You can use any product that do NOT have nutritional oils or food items as one of the ingredients. That means if you see coconut oil, almond oil, crushed almonds, sesame oil, Shea butter, honey, sugar, etc. listed as an ingredient then you may not use it. Most of what you have in your house will be fine. Mineral oil is not an edible oil so it is fine to use. Most oil free make up's and lotions are fine but so are many others.

For now I think this post and the other cover many of the most frequently asked questions that folks have about the phase 2 portion of the protocol. If I did not answer a question that you have please post it below and I'd be happy to.

Phase 2 tips for success - Part 1

My number one tip for being successful with the hcg protocol is to read and re-read the Pounds & Inches Manuscript. If you do not have access to the original manuscript I would highly recommend that you join this yahoo group, go to their files and read it ASAP!



Supplements

There are NO required supplements while on the hcg protocol. Many find that these two supplements are helpful while on the VLCD.

Potassium: You may want to take potassium 4-99 mg tablets a day. This is equivalent to a banana and will help prevent potassium deficiency. We pee so much on this protocol that we need to balance that with potassium or you will feel weak and have muscle cramps.
Magnesium: Can be taken to help keep the bowels regular. Take 1000 mg or more until your bowels start to move, then you can back down and find the dose that allows you to remain regular.
Any other supplements you choose to take must be sugar free, starch free, and oil free.

Food List

The only food list I recommend is found in the original Pounds & Inches Manuscript. There are many altered food lists out there, some of which include tuna. Dr Simeons said no tuna. People try to say that back in Dr. S's day tuna was packed in oil.... no back in Dr. S day where he lived tuna was FRESH, so if we are not to have tuna FRESH why do people think it is ok in water? My philosophy is... phase 2 lasts for 21 -40 days, I can do without ANYTHING for that short period of time. Dr. S tells us that using other foods yield less than favorable results. If I'm going to go through the trouble of doing this very strict diet I want the BEST results possible. So we do not gamble with altered food lists, coconut oil, or any other "new and improved" hcg protocols. We eat the foods listed by Dr. Simeons.

Be sure to track your calorie. Dr. Simeons says we are allowed 500 calories a day. This is very important. When on hCG up to 4000 calories of fat are being mobilized for energy use a day. If you add in more than 500 calories it floods your body with more than it can handle and it will often cause a gain or stall. In the files of the yahoo group mentioned above there is a file called HCG Daily Calorie Count forms. This document has all the allowed VLCD foods and their calorie amount per ounce. You will calculate your 2 proteins, 2 fruits, and 2 melba/grassini (must be about 20 calories per serving), then subtract from 500 calories. The rest of your calories can be spent on veggies. It is perfectly fine to stay UNDER 500 calories. Dr. S said we can omit any foods we aren't hungry for. I would highly recommend that you never omit the protein. This diet gives us just enough protein to not be protein deficient, so please eat your 2 protein servings every day whether you are hungry or not.

You can divide up the allotted foods throughout the day. We often start the day with fruit, eat protein & veggie for lunch, fruit and melba for a snack, then protein & veggie for dinner, and end the day with a melba. The foods can be divided up throughout the day however you want. BUT since we are not allowed to eat 2 of one item at a time it is best to space similar foods by 2-3 hours. So if you ate fruit at 10, wait until 12-1 to have another fruit.

Water and Other Beverages

We need water for our bodies in general, but when on this protocol it is vital to the expelling of fat as well as vital for the flushing of toxins. Did you know that your fat holds toxins? We are flushing LOTS of fat on the protocol which means a lot of toxins are being put back into movement in our body. Flush those toxins by making sure you are drinking a minimum of 1 gallon of water a day. If you weigh more than 256 pounds then you need to drink MORE than 1 gallon of water a day. Your water intake should equal 1/2 your body weight in ounces. However, I find that while on phase 2 I lose more consistently when I drink 1 gallon a day.

Coffee and tea are also acceptable beverages while in phase 2. They must be drunk black with the exception of 1 TBSP of whole milk a day. I would also recommend that you drink decaf most of the time. The caffeine is a diuretic, so if you drink caffeine throughout the day you need to drink 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of coffee to keep from dehydrating. To super-hydrate yourself you'd need at least 3 to 1.

The only other beverage that would be acceptable is plain seltzer water sweetened with flavored stevia. Diet sodas are poison and should not be a part of your diet. The aspartame and Splenda will cause you to have excess cravings and the sodium can cause water retention.

The First Week Blues

Be prepared for the first week on the VLCD to be tough. Your body will be detoxing from all the sugar, starch, chemical laden foods that you have been putting into it. Most people experience at the very least head aches for a couple days. Other detox symptoms that some struggle with include but are not limited to: nausau, weakness, tiredness, irritability, emotional outbursts, and rashes. Almost EVERYONE experiences hunger for at least the first few days for as long as 10 days. If your hunger continues beyond that you need to consider adjusting your dose of hcg or changing your dosing options. You can take over the counter pain relievers if your detox symptoms are unbearable.

Ok, this post is getting really long so I'm going to make it a 2 part post. It will end here for today and I'll post more tips for phase 2 at another time.