[forexsoft]

I don't know how I will be able to tell if my hypothalamus is reset when I've finished P2 and move in to P3. I am mainly doing this diet for the purpose of reset (although I did have one pretty bad cheat the other day which I realise may have jeopardized stabilisation...)

I just don't know how much to eat when I get to P3 and if my metabolism will be better than before...before I started this diet I was LIVING on like 800 calories or less a day and not losing, even gaining! How will I know if I can suddenly eat more without putting a lot of weight on? Very anxious!

[Dvjkefdw]

The reset happens in Phase 3. I typically increase my calories over the first week, using 11 x body weight as a guide and then adjust as needed to maintain the weight through P3.

I can tell you that for me.. before my first round I could eat 1000cals a day, exercise like crazy and be lucky to lose 1 lb a week. After my first round, I was eating 1800 cals a day with no issues. After subsequent rounds, at my goal weight that daily number is more like 1400

[Kristoferson]

The reset happens in Phase 3. I typically increase my calories over the first week, using 11 x body weight as a guide and then adjust as needed to maintain the weight through P3.

I can tell you that for me.. before my first round I could eat 1000cals a day, exercise like crazy and be lucky to lose 1 lb a week. After my first round, I was eating 1800 cals a day with no issues. After subsequent rounds, at my goal weight that daily number is more like 1400

Thanks Beth - that is SO reassuring!

I haven't really lost very much though, even on the 500 calorie diet...about 4lbs in 15 days (including load weight but I don't have much to lose and maybe I have no more abnormal fat to go)...and that was before the cheat...I've just been stalled at this weight for aaaages and wonder, maybe I should try increasing to 800 calories of P2 foods and seeing if I gain or maintain?

[hujdrftgkas]

Googoodoll, what are you eating? That seems like really slow weight loss.

I don't count calories in P3. I just eat lots of fat, protein and non-starchy vegetables. That seems to work for me. I estimate I eat about 2500 calories a day, at least, I don't exercise, and I maintain easily. To me, that means my hypothalamus is reset. Prior to this, I was exercising hours a day (swimming, lifting weights, biking, training for marathons) and eating 1000-1500 calories a day. I was gaining about a pound a week during the year before this diet.

A lot of people use the 11xbody weight to figure their calories for P3 and it works really well for them. I don't do that because it gives you the figure for your base metabolic rate. The second part of the equation is missing. You have to multiply that number by 1.3 or 1.4 or 1.5 to account for any activity you may do such as getting out of bed, going to work, etc. Also, I don't count calories because of my experience prior to this diet where I learned calories have no meaning at all for my body when it comes to weight loss, gain or maintenance.

Best wishes to you.

[topbonusescod]

googoo - I am in a clean up round right now. I only had about 10-12 to lose to be back at my lowest. I am on day 21 and my total loss so far has been 7 lbs. 5 of those in the first 4 days. I tried everything under the sun including dropping my walks and saunas, doubling protein, etc. Nothing seemed to shake it. All the sudden this morning.. boom.. two lbs. No real reason for it.

[maxuilg]

Googoodoll, what are you eating? That seems like really slow weight loss.

I don't count calories in P3. I just eat lots of fat, protein and non-starchy vegetables. That seems to work for me. I estimate I eat about 2500 calories a day, at least, I don't exercise, and I maintain easily. To me, that means my hypothalamus is reset. Prior to this, I was exercising hours a day (swimming, lifting weights, biking, training for marathons) and eating 1000-1500 calories a day. I was gaining about a pound a week during the year before this diet.

A lot of people use the 11xbody weight to figure their calories for P3 and it works really well for them. I don't do that because it gives you the figure for your base metabolic rate. The second part of the equation is missing. You have to multiply that number by 1.3 or 1.4 or 1.5 to account for any activity you may do such as getting out of bed, going to work, etc. Also, I don't count calories because of my experience prior to this diet where I learned calories have no meaning at all for my body when it comes to weight loss, gain or maintenance.

Best wishes to you.

Not counting calories or worrying about food sounds like my dream!

I currently am eating just fish and onions as my meals really. Sometimes I have eggs and onions, or sometimes I have tomatoes with my fish. But I only eat fish or eggs, I don't eat meat. Occasionally I've had an apple when I have had days where my dose has been off and needed adjusting so I've been ravenous and needed extra food to tide me over. I haven't eaten the toast/grissini...and to be honest I haven't eaten starchy carbs in more years than I can remember so when I get to p3 that shouldn't be the issue...the sugar might be though! I think i have a yeast problem based on the test that I've seen beth post in other threads...the water in the glass one.

Not sure what to do now...hoping for a 'whoosh' like beth said she had but I only have 6 days left of the VLCD and not sure it's going to happen...

[Z2sc8gEz]

Oh ok cool so I guess your average loss isn't too much higher than mine - I'm about 0.25lbs a day and you're about 0.3lbs per day I think? I was trying to estimate my maintenance calories for P3 based on how much I was losing in P2...thinking that the hcg was causing me to release enough calories of fat to make up to my maintenance calories from the VLCD. Is that not correct then? Cos that would put me at like, 1000 calories for maintenance, which didn't really seem like a lot.

If i use your 11x bodyweight method it would be like 1200. And then do I add an activity factor? Which for me would be like 1.2-1.3 cos I'm sedentary pretty much...so calories about 1500?

Hmm...guess the proof will be when I get there! But I'm just worried cos the one day on P2 I ate like 600 calories cos my dose was off and I ate more of the protocol foods, I gained about 1.5lbs!

[Dodoerabe]

The base calorie usually takes height into consideration as welll - how tall are you?

[illilmicy]

The base calorie usually takes height into consideration as welll - how tall are you?

I'm pretty short! Only 5'4"! i've tried several online calculators too, with various parameters, and they all estimate in the region of 1500-1600 calories for my height, weight, activity level, and approximate body fat %

I guess what I've been trying to say is that, if I'm not losing, that means the hcg isn't causing my body to release fat in order to make up to my maintenance calories while im eating on the vlcd...so that implies that my body doesn't need more than 500 calories to maintain my weight. So after phase 2 I will not be able to increase calories in p3?!

[avappyboalt]

Googoo, not really you have to factor in the amount of fat your body is releasing due to the HCG. You are really getting alot more than 500 calories a day, it is just not what you are consuming. You have to factor that in too. So yes you should be able to increase your calories in P3 after finishing P2 because once you stop the HCG you will have to replace what was being released from your fat stores with food you consume. Hope this makes sense.

[9wQlZkIj]

Googoo, not really you have to factor in the amount of fat your body is releasing due to the HCG. You are really getting alot more than 500 calories a day, it is just not what you are consuming. You have to factor that in too. So yes you should be able to increase your calories in P3 after finishing P2 because once you stop the HCG you will have to replace what was being released from your fat stores with food you consume. Hope this makes sense.

But that's what I mean...I'm NOT losing so my body is NOT releasing extra fat to make up for the low calorie diet...I am just maintaining on the VLCD :/ Hence why I am doubtful about increasing after P2

[rhiniddibiarmr]

You said your body weight x 11 is 1200 calories?!! Your weight is 109 pounds?? At 5'4" you are borderline underweight. If you're forcing your body to lose fat it doesn't have, you won't have success with HCG you may be starving yourself and screwing up your metabolism. HCG can't release abnormal fat that you DONT have. I'm having a hard time imagining a 5'4" body at 109 pounds that still needs to lose fat. Do you have a large frame? heavy bones? Are you overly muscular?

[55TRATTERENRY]

Yeah like I don't have a lot to lose and I know that, I mainly want to repair my damaged metabolism following years of yo-yo dieting. But I have a really heavy frame and fairly athletic physique so I do look big for my weight. I just know that an extra couple of pounds off makes me feel so much better, and on such a small person a couple of pounds makes a HUGE difference.

But my main concern is just being able to maintain my weight on a normal amount of calories and eat normally. My metabolism was pretty screwed before this anyway, so I doubt I'll be doing any further damage since I've been permanently living on a VLCD for the past 3-4 years...!!! I just thought the hcg would reset my metabolism...that was my main interest in it.

Since I got my dose right (with grammy's help) I haven't had any hunger, so I figured the hCG is doing it's job in that sense and I won't be doing damage to my metabolism or losing normal fat.

[hojutok]

Why not switch to Paleo? That should repair your metabolism just fine, plus stabilize you well... wherever your body thinks it needs to be.

[glazgoR@]

Well, I eat a pretty clean diet as it is...I can't afford not to! I don't really want to just have to keep eating such tiny amounts of food all the time. I want to fix up my metabolism so that I can eat normal amounts of food and not actually worry about it or have food control my life anymore. If I ate what calculators tell me I should for my weight and my height, whether it were a paleo diet or not, I would balloon like crazy! Been there, done that, and it's not fun!

[RooldpalApata]

What do you consider "clean", though? Paleo really is picky with some ingredients that we traditionally consider "healthy".

[HotDolly]

I only eat white fish and prawns, LOTS of vegetables, and very occasionally I have some fruit. I don't use oils or fats of any kind at all, I never eat dairy (Paleo considers dairy bad, but I would actually like to include dairy again because I am extremely concerned about my bone health), occasionally eat eggs. That's about it really. I only get about 500 calories a day max or else I gain.

[xqkAY7Lg]

I am guessing the lack of fat is actually one concern. Dairy isn't bad, possibly try reading Robb Wolf/ Primal Blueprint... it depends who you ask. Whole30 is also a good program to start with.

With eating disorder at the other side of the spectrum, statistically being underweight, I just fear that HCG is the very wrong choice to make. No healthy body would be able to exist on only 500cal without hcg, either - that means you are in starvation mode in your regular life. Personally, I would rather gain some pounds, going paleo, and try to do this the right way - grass-fed meat, healthy fats, even dairy if your body is fine with that - and definitely more than 500cal.

[dolaBeetCeage]

Thank you for all your kind and considerate advice - I truly appreciate it. I guess I undertook hCG as an attempt to get out of starvation mode as that's what I inferred Dr Simeon meant when he said about restoring the hypothalamus. As well as the anecdotal evidence from Beth and others on this board who have said that they are able to maintain on far more calories post-hcg.

So, now my dilemma is do I carry on with P2 (which finishes on this saturday for a 23 day round) and then try and do P3 and see what happens, or do I just quit right now...

[MP+4]

I would agree with sweetiepie. If you've been on hcg without any abnormal fat left to lose, your best option might be to go Paleo to fix your metabolism.

I yo-yo dieted for a long time as well. Gaining 20 pounds, losing 20 pounds, and my metabolism was so screwed up that I was eating practically nothing and still putting on weight. I was scared of P3 just like you, but after a long HCG round I went into P3 and couldn't believe I was eating 2000-2500 calories of fat and meat without gaining weight. The Leptin Reset way.

I honestly don't know if there would be any benefit to you finishing a 23 day round. You may want to ask Colleen on her question thread.
Just my 0.2 cents, of course. Good luck with whatever you decide