[Fdmnrnba]

I am at VLCD19 of a 26 day cycle and this week I have noticed NO INCHES lost and as a matter of fact noticed even more bloating. I am also CRAVING in a baaaaad way. (Not sure its true hunger) but definitely not like the first two weeks where I had to choke down food.

I really don't get TOM anymore due to an ablation done, but its possible for me to get TOM again in future. Could I be experiencing PMS during HCG?
Maybe magnesium? Maybe potency of HCG batch that was mixed 21 days ago and Im really just starving myself?

Any insight would be helpful. I am a little discouraged to see belly poofing out again (btw diet has been POP and pretty much have eaten the same variation of food)

Thanks

[Toivaluadiora]

I had a hysterectomy and still retained my ovaries; my GYN did a hormone panel this fall to see if I was in menopause, and I wasn't even close. I definitely change according to days of the month. I swear my Week3 loss of 1 pound was due to non-TOM-TOM. My breasts also ebb and flow according to the moon.

Potency can have a change, but I actually was fine with my hCG up until Day 26 (I think) of potency, and then didn't remix until like Day 31; I simply upped my dose a little to self-adjust. (I actually did a preg test on some hCG that was mixed January 26 and not refrigerated since February 24, and it still had enough ooomph to turn it positive.)

They say that a 5000 iu vial is typically fine for a short round (30 days or less); my regular dose was .125 and I upped it to .150 for the last few days.

[Kokomoxddcvcv]

Yeah, something is not right. I just put on yoga pants from last weekend that I had on and they are not longer loose but tight again. I had to go measure (Not supposed to until tomorrow am) and YUP.. gained a few inches in my thighs and midriff, hips stayed the same.

Weird thing is I am still losing .6 pounds per day. But gaining inches? This is depressing to be gaining inches, it was so nice to have clothes have some breathing room. Now they are getting snug again.

[KukkoDrukko]

If you are losing pounds, then it only stands to reason that you are retaining water for some reason (I would guess natural hormonal fluctuations). My BF had a small gain the other day, and totally couldn't understand it. Canned tomatoes = high sodium = retention and bloating. She lost it as soon as she upped her water uptake and gave her body time to get rid of it.

Maybe try a TBSP of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water (with Stevia if you need it)? It is a natural diuretic.

[GaryBulguihb]

Matter of fact, since my 2 days in a row intake of salted sunflower seeds at baseball games, I just went and fixed a humungous glass of water, lemon, ACV, and a drop of stevia. My rings are a little tight, and I am thinking that salt is my culprit.

It's not so tasty, but I have certainly drunk worse!

[G8whlTAe]

I am completely new to the HCG diet and on day 7. My losses were 7.3lbs on day 6 and I was thrilled! The end of day six I felt awful and unexpectedly started TOM 5 days early. I craved salt so badly I couldn't stand it! Unfortunately, I gave in to the craving and ate a bunch of chex mix and doritoes. Ugh! I'm so mad at myself and my body is aching today. I'm totally bloated and am holding so much water!!!!

Help! I gained back 1.9lbs and could use some insight / ideas on how to lose this and what to expect on TOM. I'm so scared I'm going to gain more tomorrow even if I don't cheat.

[fujitsusi]

The best cure for water retention is drinking more water. Your cells are holding onto all the water they can in order to correct the sodium imbalance. So you need to drink enough so that the cells feel confident that there is adequate water swirling around thus no need to save it (just like economics and your savings account!). The more you drink, the happier your cells are.

They say that lemon is a diuretic and that apple cider vinegar is. I tried a glass of water with both in it last night, and honestly I can't tell a lot of difference in the tightness of my rings. I am going to have another lemon water in a few, after I finish my coffee.

If you get craving salt again, try sunflower seeds. They are impossible to eat quickly, they are nice and salty, and you can even spit out the kernel so that you don't ingest the calorie part. There is a low-sodium type, but I have never seen them in stores around here. They keep me from eating bad things at baseball games. I figure 60 calories of sunflower seeds is better for me than a bag of peanuts in the shell or a bag of popcorn!

[payowlirriply]

It is normal to need to adjust dosage during the last 10 days or so. I had the same problem: intense cravings all of a sudden and Colleen mentioned this. I adjusted my dose and was back at my sweet spot again.

Water can make one gain inches for sure. But your body is doing something. You may find yourself sweating a bunch very soon and release it all! I think too that when we think of our cycles we only think of TOM but the whole month is a cycle with phases.

Good luck!

[Nupbeaupeteew]

Thanks for the insight! I drank easily 2 gallons of water yesterday and didn't have any sodium. I am still on Tom, but I lost .9lbs last night. So relieved!!!! I really want this to work. I have a huge sales meeting the end of April and I'd love to be at my goal weight of 130lbs. It sounds possible after reading the huge success stories on this site! Thanks for all the inspiration. I really need it... My husband thinks this program is ridiculous and is by far my biggest eating trigger because he loves to have me eat with him (junk food) at night in bed. Ugh... Here's hoping I continue to set my sights on looking amazing!!!!

[Immarsecice]

Thanks for the insight ladies. Very much appreciated. The hunger went away and so did the bloating, however I have about 2 more shots left before the end and I am bloating back up again....very strange. Maybe fat is on the move?

[nicktender]

Thanks for the insight ladies. Very much appreciated. The hunger went away and so did the bloating, however I have about 2 more shots left before the end and I am bloating back up again....very strange. Maybe fat is on the move?

I'll be watching this post very closely... I'm in the same bloat boat and can't figure it out! I look about six months pregnant!