Almost done! Some data to share
 

I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to this stuff, and thought I'd share my data for like-minded nerds.

43 y/o male, 5'9"

Starting

Weight: 209 lbs (clothed)
% body fat: 32%
Fat mass: 66.9lbs
Water: 104.2lbs
Muscle: 80.2 lbs

(measured at doctor's office)

Protocol: dr. supervised, 200 IU of subcutaneous hcg, thigh or stomach. 600-800 calories per day. I did cheat with occasional wine (twice to excess with bad consequences). I also had 1/2 oz of almonds now and again. Otherwise, I followed the protocol, with main proteins bison or chicken breast chili (lots of tomatoes, no beans). I was also on:

- half dose of bioidentical testosterone (T levels measured low in bloodwork)
- Mg/K supplement
- CM Core from Ortho Molecular (makes you less insulin resistant)
- Zn (prevents conversion of testosterone)
- Thyroid supplement
- 2x whey protein shakes (80 calories, 15 g protein, 2-3 grams carbs) from the doctor

Day 26 VLCD

Weight: 189.6 lbs (clothed)
% body fat: 25.5%
Fat mass: 48.4lbs
Water: 103.5lbs
Muscle: 80.2 lbs

At day 26, I lost 0 lbs of muscle, under 1lb of water, and 18.5 lbs of fat!

----------------------------------------

Today is day 43 of VLCD.

I haven't decided if today is my last shot. I'm hitting the scale at about 177 (nude) which will be around 179-180 (clothed). Goal is 175 lbs which would put me at a body fat percent of 20 % which is in the normal range. But wife and a few friends have said that I look too skinny. But so far the measurements show body fat loss and NOT muscle loss, so I don't think I'm too skinny but it's making me a bit self conscious. I think folks got used to seeing me at a porky 209 lbs!

Would you guys go another week? I have enough syringes and hcg, and I'm going to swing by the doctor's office for another body comp test tomorrow. If it shows no or only moderate muscle loss, I think I'm going to stay on it for another week.

Congrats on your weight loss, you did an amazing job with your losses.


Also, if you don't mind, what is your recipe for chicken breast chili with no beans?

I think people got used to seeing you heavy, too. Stick at 175 for awhile and establish that as the new norm. 175 at 5'9" isn't skinny.

BTW, most the people who tell me I shouldn't lose anymore could stand to lose some themselves. Just saying.

Good job!

Jeff,

First, congratulations on your great losses! I'm so glad to hear that you did not lose any muscle. Did you work out at all? I know Dr. S said that we shouldn't lose any muscle but some others did report muscle loss so I'm curious.

I am not a vet or an expert, but if it were me, I would go a few more days to see if I could hit your goal weight. You are already at 43 days so I would see what the vets say, but if I had come as far as you have, I would let myself go up for up to 5 more days and see if I could lose those last couple of pounds.

That said, some have lost a couple of more pounds during P3 and stabilized there, so it may be worth it to see if you do that. Being that you are a male, it would not surprise me if you did.

Again, great job on your losses and doing as well as you did sticking to protocol *most* of the time. I do think people probably remember you as having more weight on you, but they'll get used to how lean and mean you look in your new body! http://hcgdietinfo.com/hcgdietforums...es/biggrin.png

Ryann

Nice job, Jeff! Congratulations!
I aaume you've been skipping day per week, given the length of your round so far. At this point, I'd say you might as well just continue til day 46 (which is 40 days of injections, the max round per Dr S.).
You've basically given birth to triplets, so of course you look thin now! For your height, you probably don't want to lose much more, but a couple more days will give you a nice cushion going into P3. Some people adjust upward of their LIW based on how well they stabilize in P3. So a few extra days now might work to your advantage from that standpoint. If you end up stabiling a little higher than that 2# over LIW, it won't bother you so much.

Congrats. I know what it feels like to meet your goal. I used to be close to 200 lbs but then when on SBD about 9 years ago and got down to 120. Then over the past couple of years I've gone up by 28lbs even though I don't eat any gluten. I am amazed that I've lost 15 lbs since I loaded a week ago. Keep up the good work! People tell me I am skinny now and I agree, they are usually heavy.

Thanks all for the input. I'm going to push till next Tuesday.

I have a business trip to San Diego on Thursday. So, I'll start P3 on the road. . . I figure that's better than P2 on the road and dealing with bringing loaded hcg syringes on ice along for the flight.

-------------------

Ryann,

Didn't work out. My doc told me to (moderate resistant exercise) but I had enough 'weird' physical symptoms going on that I decided to stick closer to 600-650 calories and skip the workouts. I am, however, getting a personal trainer as I complete P3 and focus on weight training.

In college I was 170 lbs 10% body fat. That was a long time ago. . but I think for an oldie I can get damn close to my glory days. http://hcgdietinfo.com/hcgdietforums...lies/smile.png While I don't think the hcg diet is easy, I think this next step is going to be tougher.

--------------------

Alaska, all I did was get a whole lotta fresh tomotoes, 2-3lbs of ground chicken breast and assemble my spices. Brown the meat with 5 cloves of chopped garlic, maybe 3-4 shallots, and 3-4 Serrano peppers (seeds and all), add salt. Dump in chopped tomatoes, and enough water to cover. Add lots of chili powder, cayenne powder, cumin, cinnamon, 2 stevia packets. Simmer and let tomatoes break down (I leave skin on for max nutrition).

I'd love to add some black beans, but soon enough!

I measure the grams of each ingredient going in, calculate total calories, and weigh the pot empty. Once done, I reweigh, subtract pot weight, and divide chili into 200 calorie portions into containers.

------------------

Kar,

No skipping. Straight through with injections every day.

Ryann,

Didn't work out. My doc told me to (moderate resistant exercise) but I had enough 'weird' physical symptoms going on that I decided to stick closer to 600-650 calories and skip the workouts. I am, however, getting a personal trainer as I complete P3 and focus on weight training.

In college I was 170 lbs 10% body fat. That was a long time ago. . but I think for an oldie I can get damn close to my glory days. While I don't think the hcg diet is easy, I think this next step is going to be tougher. You are almost done with P2! Congratulations! I am so far away, I can't even smell P3. http://hcgdietinfo.com/hcgdietforums...lies/smile.png Really, I am only on VLCD 8 right now and actually talked to a personal trainer today about starting training when I'm in P3. I did not tell him that I was using HCG. http://hcgdietinfo.com/hcgdietforums...lies/smile.png

I'd love to hear how you stabilize in P3 while doing some training. Keep us posted!

Sure will!