[Fiesialenp]

(originally posted on Grammys August 2011 Loaders thread and reposting here for more advice)

I'm on round 2 vlcd 8 and am questioning the potency, integrity and validity of my hhcg drops.

Here are my two main issues: incredible and intense hunger (definitely not mental, i learned the difference in round 1) and horrible headaches - dull throbbing during the day and more intense migraine-like at night.

I had almost no hunger problems in round 1 - more like no appetite and had to keep reminding myself to get the 500 calories in. The headaches (which i knew were from detoxing) faded away after about 5 days. I'm sticking more closely to protocol on this round and am losing more to-date than the last round, but my biggest concern is that I'm losing only due to the vlc diet (thus losing muscle mass) and not the hcg because it's not doing it's thing (burning stored fat and resetting everything) I'm really freaking out here and don't want to have issues with stabilizing in P3 & P4 (did these two phases without a hitch and never went above my LDW in my last round)

Here's the one big difference from my last round: I switched drops. Used Oak Hill brand and lost 18lbs in 24 days (bought this before checking up on their website. When I did their info was so shady and sketchy, almost no mention of the original protocol or how to follow the diet properly - this was a major deciding factor in my descision to switch). My genius bright idea was to switch because I thought I could lose more weight using the other drops. I'm using Health Yourself brand this time (which had a direct link to this website and their information was much more true to Dr Simeon's Protocol - seemed more knowledgeable and legit) and so here I am - hungry, headachy, weak and cranky. still losing weight but don't know if my drops are doing it's thing.

The place where I bought these hhcg drops are allowing me to exchange them for the first bottle I was using. Seems like a no brainer, but I need to know if I should wait it out and give it a little more time, or just go and switch it out? SO SORRY FOR WRITING A BOOK, BUT I JUST NEEDED TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING

THANKS SO MUCH

[Markdogas]

Sounds like you have two options - change the brand or change your dose. I know how you feel because I was feeling like this just recently and really couldn't think clearly. So you have to decide which of those options is more likely to work fastest and easiest so you can get back to feeling normal. Then just do it right away.

[DraidodaRip]

Well all hhcg drops are not created equal... Have you compared the dilution of the ingredients, are they similiar? Do they have amino acids in them?

Did you fat load in the same way the second time around?

Are you taking the same dosage of drops?

What are you doing to detoxify?

[RuttyUttepe]

Well all hhcg drops are not created equal... Have you compared the dilution of the ingredients, are they similiar? Do they have amino acids in them?

Did you fat load in the same way the second time around?

Are you taking the same dosage of drops?

What are you doing to detoxify?

dilution is the same - first bottle used i R1 had amino acids

loaded with similar foods

following dosage instructions on bottle 10 drops 3x a day (first bottle 15 drops 3x a day). tried increasing then decreasing - did not help.

what do you mean by detoxify? i'm only following the original protocol, not kevin trudeau's book and detox process.

[cestsennY]

dilution is the same - first bottle used i R1 had amino acids

loaded with similar foods

following dosage instructions on bottle 10 drops 3x a day (first bottle 15 drops 3x a day). tried increasing then decreasing - did not help.

what do you mean by detoxify? i'm only following the original protocol, not kevin trudeau's book and detox process.

We live in a completely different world then Dr Simeon's did. The foods that we eat do not have the same amount of nutrients in them, and our foods have a boatload more toxins in them. Plus, our environment is more toxic then it was 50 years ago. Because of this our bodies natural detoxification systems (lymphatic, kidney's, liver, gallblader, skin etc) are already exhausted, already taxed beyond their capacity.

Because your detox systems are already overloaded, they have trapped toxins by surrounding them with fat cells. When the HCG eats away at the stored fat cells the previously trapped toxins are released. Therefore, you need to have some form of detox protocol to deal with the additional toxins that are being released.

I use the Cleanse Bio App and have in the past done a series of ionic foot baths.

[amusaasyday]

while i understand and relate to your post, i (respectfully) disagree. so many in todays day and age have followed and succeeded by following the original protocol as outlined by Dr Simeons. yes, we have so much more environmental factors in which we deal with day to day, but following a stringent detox plan may not even be necessay given that our bodies are functioning normally to release that waste. which is why drinking up to a gallon of water is so very important, it's nature's natural and free way to remove toxins from our bodies while rehydrating as needed.

so very important to eat fresh, organic and natural. that includes removing all artificial sweeteners and unnecessary chemicals that your body does not need to survive. i absolutely love how this diet changes your outlook of food and resets your body to do what it was originally meant to do - before we destroyed it by feeding it all the chemichals, toxins, preservatives and CRAP that innudate all foods today.

while i applaud kevin trudeau for bringing this diet out to light, his "phase 1 - detox phase" is really not necessary in order to have success in this lifestyle change.

[egershna]

Well I never read trudeau's book. I have had success with detoxing, I dont do it in a phase... Do it when I feel the need... Have used it to get through the plateaus...

Agree on the positive chanrges in one's diet resulting from the hcg diet... But for most of us, this is something new.. A complete change in the way we view and consume food.. It is important to me to get rid of the toxins so that this new way to approach life can be done as cleanly as possible.