[Prosocorneliay]

Well, I will be ending my 3rd week on Phase2 and had my yearly physical last week. The Dr. phoned yesterday and said my potassium level is extremely low (I have never had a potassium problem) He want me to eat foods high in potassium, i.e. Bananas and all things that are now allowed on P2. He also said my chlorestrol is high (which has never been before). I finally told him I was on HCG and he chastised me explaining that any 500 a day calorie restrictive diet would of course make a person lose weight. When I told him I had lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks, he asked me if I would do him a huge favor and gave me a 3 week healthy diet of various fruits, vegetable, and protein with sugars cut out of my diet and asked me to stop the HCG and just do this for 3 weeks and see the difference (a lot more calories) and he then would redo my blood workup and guaranteed me I would see positive results. So with this said, I am going to say goodbye to the HCG diet (even thought I was going to do a second round) and give his a try. I appreciate all the support I have found on this site and only wish the best for all of you and hope your results meet your dreams.

[XIMHOTEP-X]

I take a potassium supplement, as well as others supplements during P2. What kind of protein were you eating on P2? I only eat fish, shrimp and chicken..

Your doctor doesn't seem to understand how HCG works. Yes, the daily intake is about 500 calories per day, but HCG burns abnormal FAT, allowing us to burn more calories.

Give him the link to Dr Simeon's Pounds and Inches, and keep us posted to your progress.

[AntonioMQ]

Oh good grief. I just hate it when doctors don't do their homework and understand the protocol. You're likely drinking too much fluid which sometimes happens. All you need is a potassium supplement. Eat a healthy diet and lose weight. Sure, don't we all wish it was that easy? I hate doctors like that. I'd fire my doctor if he talked to me like that!

[maxtp]

Eat a healthy diet and lose weight. Sure, don't we all wish it was that easy? I hate doctors like that. I'd fire my doctor if he talked to me like that!

If only it was that easy! Many of the doctors that say that are over weight too.

[janeemljr]

Well, I will be ending my 3rd week on Phase2 and had my yearly physical last week. The Dr. phoned yesterday and said my potassium level is extremely low (I have never had a potassium problem) He want me to eat foods high in potassium, i.e. Bananas and all things that are now allowed on P2. He also said my chlorestrol is high (which has never been before). I finally told him I was on HCG and he chastised me explaining that any 500 a day calorie restrictive diet would of course make a person lose weight. When I told him I had lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks, he asked me if I would do him a huge favor and gave me a 3 week healthy diet of various fruits, vegetable, and protein with sugars cut out of my diet and asked me to stop the HCG and just do this for 3 weeks and see the difference (a lot more calories) and he then would redo my blood workup and guaranteed me I would see positive results. So with this said, I am going to say goodbye to the HCG diet (even thought I was going to do a second round) and give his a try. I appreciate all the support I have found on this site and only wish the best for all of you and hope your results meet your dreams.

Good luck!

[DownloadADOBEsoftware]

Hey New Albany! I'm in Columbus. My potassium is always low when I diet so I take a supplement or else I get leg cramps. I'm sorry that your doctor feels that you should discontinue, but as Grammy and the other vets have chimed in, there are ways to fix it.

[Jourgenz]

Hi New Albany and Columbus. I'm in Dublin. And my potassium goes very low on this diet; that's why I supplement during P2. It would make more sense for your doctor to write you a prescription for slow release potassium than it would for him to recommend bananas if your potassium is so low as to cause concern for your health. Or else he could recommend beet greens, spinach and swiss chard, which are better sources of potassium than bananas, and you can eat them on the hcg diet. And of course if he's kept up on the latest cholesterol research, he knows that the foods you've eaten on the hcg diet in the past 3 weeks likely haven't raised it, and that high cholesterol isn't of much concern health-wise. And if you've been losing lots of fat, I'd assume your triglycerides should be high temporarily and I'd hope that he'd know that, too. I'd check again in P4 to see how they look. Your doctor sounds like an idiot.

[farmarrl]

ACV 2 tbls in a glass of water 2x's a day will eliminate leg cramps. You can use stevia in the drink and lemon. HTH


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[johnteriz]

Sorry, forgot to say it has to be cloudy ACV like Braggs.


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[KellyLynchIV]

Hi New Albany and Columbus. I'm in Dublin. And my potassium goes very low on this diet; that's why I supplement during P2. It would make more sense for your doctor to write you a prescription for slow release potassium than it would for him to recommend bananas if your potassium is so low as to cause concern for your health. Or else he could recommend beet greens, spinach and swiss chard, which are better sources of potassium than bananas, and you can eat them on the hcg diet. And of course if he's kept up on the latest cholesterol research, he knows that the foods you've eaten on the hcg diet in the past 3 weeks likely haven't raised it, and that high cholesterol isn't of much concern health-wise. And if you've been losing lots of fat, I'd assume your triglycerides should be high temporarily and I'd hope that he'd know that, too. I'd check again in P4 to see how they look. Your doctor sounds like an idiot.

Very good points. BTW, I work in Dublin.

[onlyfun_biziness]

My hcg clinic actually puts you on potassium supplements while on p2....this is a common problem. Dr s mentions the spike in cholesterol, that's why we always tell folks to delay blood work until a month after the end of a p2. In actual fact though, any weight loss plan will increase your cholesterol level temporarily as well. He's not suggesting you stop hcg because of these lab results....he's just anti hcg diet.

[ptmQqoxw]

Just to pipe in: I had blood work done before I started HCG, it showed borderline high cholesterol (which I was told to start eating all the plastic low fat foods), high blood pressure (was put on BP medicine, but didn't take it), and a lack of vitamin D.

I went back just a couple of weeks ago, while on round 2, and my blood work showed a drop in cholesterol (from 205 to 170), lower BP, and no deficiencies. My PA, was concerned about me using HCG, but they recorded a 60 lb drop in weight (I was actually down 80 lbs from when I started HCG), and noticed that although I had a lot of "old red blood cells", my body had an abundance of new red blood cells. She said it was weird (I am a medical oddity anyway), but whatever I am doing, keep it up.

Never put your health in jeopardy. If you trust what your Dr. says, then by all means, stop using HCG. Calories in/calories out and eat less, move more, are not necessarily correct. If you stay with lean meats, lots of veggies, healthy fats, stay away from carbs and processed foods, you will lose weight, a lot slower than HCG, but you will lose weight.

Good luck to you!

[offinoNem]

ACV 2 tbls in a glass of water 2x's a day will eliminate leg cramps. You can use stevia in the drink and lemon.

Sorry, forgot to say it has to be cloudy ACV like Braggs.

Cloudy ACV (apple cider vinegar) is said to be "with mother". Usually can be found on a bottom shelf with all the other ACVs. This is how I drink it: 1 1/2-2 jiggers of ACV with Mother, a dropper full of the Sweetleaf Liquid Stevia with Mint (or the Lemon Drop liquid stevia, same maker) to a 16 ounce glass of water. Very refreshing! And you don't notice the ACV much at all. It is a nice, refreshing beverage on a hot day.

BTW, I had labs drawn right before I started the diet. My blood sugar and A1C were both elevated enough for a diagnosis of diabetes, my BP was elevated, but my cholesterol was WNL (within normal limits). Go back to the doc for a re-do of the labs in a few weeks and will see how the diet affected my blood chemistry (will be on P3 by that time). What I do know is that with a 20 pound loss I have had to cut my BP med in half.

HCG VLCD phase is short term, as is P3. While we can /do repeat the phases, the ultimate goal is significant weight loss, and with that, better health.

If you like your doc, and trust his recommendations, follow it. If you think the risks for the short term of being on HCG outweigh the risks of being overweight, you might make a different decision and find other ways of amping up your potassium.

This is just my opinion, worth every cent you are paying for it......

[Jorcelirl]

Be careful dispensing that type of advice. If she were overhydrated that would show up in other lab values as well. While hypokalemia is easy to fix, one should not self diagnose or medicate.

[Sleflanna]

It has to be mild, or he wouldn't have suggested bananas.....it takes alot of bananas to bring up your potassium level. .

[Thifiadardivy]

@ Jearly. When we go on any diet, HCG or otherwise, our electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, calcium) take a pounding.

You should at least be taking a potassium supplement and a magnesium supplement. Both will help eliminate muscle cramping issues. Sufficient Magnesium supplementation will help put your cholesterol numbers back on track and will also help stabilize your blood sugar (which helps keep cravings under control and aids in weight loss).

Any time you go on a diet of any kind and begin losing weight, your cholesterol numbers will temporarily rise. As your liver ramps up glucagon release, it also starts dumping all the excess sugars and cholesterols it has stored into your bloodstream for elimination from your body. So if you do bloodwork during that initial unload, your cholesterol and blood sugars will be elevated, but then they will drop sharply as you continue to diet and lose more weight. Your doctor should know this!

If you are taking calcium and not magnesium, then your body is automatically magnesium deficient.

Ok, off my soapbox now!

[benderkoz]

Hi, I'm a newbie....well not really, i've been researching and learning for about a yr and a half....my Dr actually does the HCG injections. I wanted to continue from the 23 day to the 40 day (I didn't want to go thru 2 maintenance phases for 10lbs that I have left.....so anyway he made me get blood work of EVERYTHING to make sure my kidneys and liver were all ok because I am also his pain mgmt patient as well. (this being why I thought HCG was perfect for me because I CAN'T exercise, also have thyroid disease so I didn't have a chance in hell at losing weight)

Anyway as a result of this bloodwork, mine came out the opposite. My sodium levels were low. because of my pain medication and all the fast that goes thru your liver I was extremely worried about my liver so I drank water like it was going out of style! I was going thru a case of water every 2 days, drinking almost 5x+ the required amount of water so that is why my sodium levels were low. Who would have thought too much water could be so dangerous??? They call it over dosing on water. Anyone else have this problem? They just told me to drastically cut down my water intake and obviously well redo blood after to be sure but they are pretty sure its from my over drinking of water!

It stinks to have drs that are uneducated about this diet and just shoot it down simply because they are anti-HCG, and the saddest part its I think more Drs would be for it if they simply did research.....