[Gymngatagaica]

I've struggled with posting my story here, as this forum is a huge venue for support and good vibes, and I don't want to discourage anyone from this protocol. However, I do want to share my experience with hCG, so others can learn from my mistakes - and I admit that I made them.

I started hCG by taking subcutaneous injections. There's a local clinician who prescribed me the hCG and another local pharmacy mixed it for me. Both the clinician AND the pharmacist advised me to inject 25 mL twice a day. I questioned both of them, based on my reading of Pounds and Inches, and those with experience from this forum, but they assured me that I was to take it twice a day, so I did.

I loaded, as I was supposed to. And, in starting P2, I was okay. My clinician used the same foods as P&I, but did not allow the Grissini/Melba Toast. Days 1-7 of the VLCD were okay. I think I was still very motivated and excited about the potential of huge losses, so I didn't miss the food, and besides, I had dropped 12 pounds in the first week. I'm classified as "morbidly obese", so I was okay with that level of loss. Days 8-12 were the worst. I started to crave my old favorites. I wasn't hungry, but I was frustrated at how much I craved things. My only deviation from the P&I was that I would substitute 3 whites/1 egg for a protein, and in the very occasional meal, would substitute Fat Free Greek Yogurt (I can't eat red meat, due to complications with my lapband, so I needed alternative sources of protein). I continued to lose weight and at Day 18 of the VLCD, I was down 30 pounds.

Now, where I screwed up was at about that Day 18 mark. So, let me back up a bit...

During that Day 8-12 period, I was really discouraged about me being able to complete hCG. The cravings were too overwhelming...I resigned to quitting. A friend of mine who does hCG frequently (using homeopathic drops) encouraged me to wait it out until Day 23, so that I'd at least be successful. I knew that those who did the 23 day round weren't as successful, but knew that I was too close to quitting and could not see me completing the 30 day course. I'd already dropped $300 on this diet and knew that if I had to be count to day 23, I could do it. 30 Days was too far out of sight.

So, back to Day 18...

I was pleased during my course of hCG that I was never hungry. I was surprised that a 300 lb woman could not feel hunger, but assuredly, that stuff is amazing, and true to it's claim that there's no hunger. I was very bored with my restrictive food choices around Day 18, so I quit eating my 500 calories. I did a search on this forum and found that reportedly, if people didn't eat their entire 500 calories, it was okay. So, for Days 18, 19, 20 and 21, I ate about half a cucumber and 3-4 strawberries per day. That's it. No protein. I was weak. Couldn't take the stairs at work. Had zero energy. But, I wasn't hungry, and was counting down the days until I could go to Phase 3. I merely existed during those days, so that I could eat something enjoyable and with flavor. During those four days, I lost about .3 lbs. Total Bummer for as little as I was eating.

Phase 3 - Day 1

Went to a salad bar and enjoyed a multi-vegetable salad with a little low-calorie salad dressing. Not five minutes into my bite of salad, my stomach cramped and I rushed to the bathroom. Horrible diarrhea and cramping...I checked here and saw that if you add too many variances of food too quickly, you are likely to have diarrhea. So, I backed off, limited my "new" foods, and went to bed somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to enjoy P3 as much as I wanted. Day 2, no matter what I ate, I was rushing to the bathroom. It was like my body forgot how to digest food. It went in, it came out. Horrible horrible pain. It would happen even when I wasn't eating. Middle of the night, I'd wake up and be in the bathroom. It felt like someone was punching me in the stomach.

During Days 1-5 of phase 3, I gained 10 pounds back. I couldn't do a steak day (can't do red meat), so I really limited my intake. I assure you, I didn't eat 10 pounds of food during those five days. Somehow my body was angry at me and very non-forgiving for something.

So, I took myself to my real doctor...

He immediately ordered me off of the protocol. Put me on the B.R.A.T diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) to ease my stomach. He told me that some people's bodies can reject a low-carb diet and have opposite of the desired effects. I argued with him. Told him that I only had two weeks of low-carb to go. Please let me finish. This is where I reset my hypothalamus. He said in a somber voice, "This is not about your diet anymore. This is about your health." I accepted his wishes. He ordered a bunch of bloodwork. Put me on some medicines that are often prescribed for ulcers. Cried on the way home. Was mad at myself for...well...everything.

I've had the same pain and cramping for 10 days now. Although the meds and adding bland and starchy foods to my diet have helped some, the pain and abdominal cramping are still extensive. There are days that I can't work (and I have a very sedentary desk job).

Yesterday I had to have a CT Scan of my abdomen. I'm still waiting for the results.

I don't know whether hCG had anything to do with what I'm going through. I probably won't know until I get the results of the CT Scan. However, I just want people to take a few things from this...

1) Make sure you're taking the right dosage of hCG
2) Don't deprive yourself of protein
3) Don't stop eating. Your body needs what's been prescribed in P&I


Anyway...good luck to those of you who are currently doing this. This board is a great source of support, and I wish you the best in your weightloss endeavors!