[affewheillMapew]

Quick summary: I first started HCG in November when I successfully lost 17 lbs. in around 3 weeks which is big for a petite woman like me (I'm 4'11''.) December rolled around and I kept having binging episodes and I wouldn't let go of the HCG because somehow, the thought that it would treat that binging episode as a loading day comforted me. Sure enough, I did lose any weight I put on but the binging kept going. I had "HCG goggles" which I know is very bad. I stopped taking HCG for a while and then did a second round in February, losing weight, but losing the battle yet again. Now I am technically on my third round, although the maximum number of days I have stopped using HCG does not exceed 5 days. I am SCARED to be without it.

Now that I'm in my third round, I am determined for success. Meaning, I want to lose weight AND keep it off for my fourth and very last round on June. However, this time around I am off-protocol. A couple of things I do differently are 1) weigh everyday but not obsess over any tiny weight gain and 2) be very realistic with my choices. I can't stick to protocol the whole program, so when I need to make a choice I make sure my choices are healthy.

I know I am slowly losing weight because I fit back into clothing again now. Maybe not perfectly, but I'm getting there. Now my question is... what is the logic behind weight gain due to slight deviation from the protocol? On a normal day, I can only be at most 85% on protocol. I don't understand how ______(insert healthy off-protocol item here)________ can make me gain weight when I am 100% positive that my body is normal enough to burn that said item? Just how sensitive are our metabolisms when HCG is in it? Can somebody explain?

Maybe when I understand the logic behind it, I can finally stop my binging and trust myself again. I think I speak in behalf of everyone when I say it hurts to pay attention to what we eat this meticulously, choosing healthy options still make us gain weight, while we see other people who can chow down a big cheeseburger and still be skinny.

[9enackivegliva]

I think something people forget is our weight fluctuates +-6lb naturally even within a DAY. When people eat off protocol foods and see small gains or stalls... it possibly could've happened anyway, there's no way to prove it was that food. It's the same as when you see people "cheat" and then post and say they still lost. We don't have the means to check exactly what caused a gain or a loss, or whether it was even just water/food weight. I think the important thing is our long term health and weight. Hcg attracts people for the wrong reasons - in that it's super fast. Try to keep your "big picture" goggles on and think of this as a health opportunity, not necessarily a weight one.
Also I don't blame you for bingeing, up until a year ago that described me to a T. But I think another thing about hcg is if you're not willing to change your habits for life, it's not the right solution, and you'll just bounce back. Are there psychological reasons involved in your bingeing?
I am a bit of skeptic really, a large part of me thinks hcg just works because carbs are eliminated. Anyway, don't feel bad about the past or anything that's happened. Hcg isn't a miracle, but how it can affect your eating habits is
If you haven't seen it before, I suggest www.marksdailyapple.com as a great website for health reading. It's not an hcg website, but it helped me put things in perspective

[johobuo]

in my opinion and from my experience..

It depends on what healthy off protocol item you are eating. Also when you talk about binging that means to me eating a lot of calories at once and usually is not protocol foods.

The beauty of the hcg protocol is that when done correctly it allows the hypothalamus to rest. It does not have to make the day to day decisions about what to do with the fats and carbs we are eating. Whether it needs to burn them or store them. Because we are eating low fat and low carb, the hypothalamus rests. This is why people often are cold while on the VLCD. The hypothalamus also has some control over body temperature.

When the VLCD with hcg is over and the person begins eating fats again (still relatively low carb), the hypothalamus wakes up and says "hey.. I need to burn these fats for energy." The body is no longer receiving the flood of calories from stored excess fat that it has converted to energy. The body becomes a fat burner which is something we want it to be. Use those fats rather than store them.

For many this metabolism reset, enables them to eat a higher amount of calories than they could before the protocol.

When someone is cheating with foods in P2 that create an excess of calories be it fat, carbs, etc. That reset can't happen. The rest doesn't happen. The hypothalamus is still up doing it's job.. and the body is lazy.. it innately wants to burn any simple carbs and sugars first. It has to be retained to work otherwise.

I think most of use who have been very overweight will always have to watch what we're eating in some fashion. I don't think I will ever eat willynilly with total disregard for what might make me gain a bit here and there and what doesn't. There has to be a balance and a pattern set so that I can maintain within a range. Part of this journey is learning how your body reacts to certain foods and combinations of foods in maintenance. That knowledge is key to keeping the weight off.

[Sheelldaw]

in my opinion and from my experience..

It depends on what healthy off protocol item you are eating. Also when you talk about binging that means to me eating a lot of calories at once and usually is not protocol foods.

The beauty of the hcg protocol is that when done correctly it allows the hypothalamus to rest. It does not have to make the day to day decisions about what to do with the fats and carbs we are eating. Whether it needs to burn them or store them. Because we are eating low fat and low carb, the hypothalamus rests. This is why people often are cold while on the VLCD. The hypothalamus also has some control over body temperature.

When the VLCD with hcg is over and the person begins eating fats again (still relatively low carb), the hypothalamus wakes up and says "hey.. I need to burn these fats for energy." The body is no longer receiving the flood of calories from stored excess fat that it has converted to energy. The body becomes a fat burner which is something we want it to be. Use those fats rather than store them.

For many this metabolism reset, enables them to eat a higher amount of calories than they could before the protocol.

When someone is cheating with foods in P2 that create an excess of calories be it fat, carbs, etc. That reset can't happen. The rest doesn't happen. The hypothalamus is still up doing it's job.. and the body is lazy.. it innately wants to burn any simple carbs and sugars first. It has to be retained to work otherwise.

I think most of use who have been very overweight will always have to watch what we're eating in some fashion. I don't think I will ever eat willynilly with total disregard for what might make me gain a bit here and there and what doesn't. There has to be a balance and a pattern set so that I can maintain within a range. Part of this journey is learning how your body reacts to certain foods and combinations of foods in maintenance. That knowledge is key to keeping the weight off.

Beth -- that was the best explanation I have heard about how HCG works. Very nice. Thank you.

[67Irralphaisa]

thank you so much Jayy & Beth. this puts things in perspective. I just remembered exactly why I turned to this diet: because everything else was a FLOP. There was a time when I was eating practically 90% fat free and exercising 5x a week and I still wouldn't lose weight. When I remember this, I think about how I shouldn't be taking advantage of this opportuniyy

[baronaaba]

You've gotten some great advice but i want to make sure you aren't losing control because you're hungry. When you binge is it because you are hungry or you just want to eat? Hunger means your dose is off.

[Anneskobsen]

I have absolutely no issues about hunger. thanks for checking up on me! but my psychological hunger is so much stronger than the physical. when i see how less i eat compared to other people, that really brings me down :-( i'm young, just turning 20, and it pains me that i've tried everything and i can't lose weight the normal way.

[Arximedus]

I so agree with you!! I also think it's really awesome to find something that can take the weight off as fast as we can put it on. Nothing worse than busting your butt on a normal diet and extreme exercise and starving, not just craving but starving and step on the scale only to see 2lbs in a WEEK gone.

thank you so much Jayy & Beth. this puts things in perspective. I just remembered exactly why I turned to this diet: because everything else was a FLOP. There was a time when I was eating practically 90% fat free and exercising 5x a week and I still wouldn't lose weight. When I remember this, I think about how I shouldn't be taking advantage of this opportuniyy

[AndrewBoss]

when i see how less i eat compared to other people, that really brings me down :-(

I feel ya. I look at my tiny portion twice a day, and it is just so... little. I also have that psychological craving - right when I decide how yummy the food is, it is gone already. I already notice, though, that I eat way slower and take smaller bites, because I don't want it to be gone so fast. Which is good, overeating was one of my problems...

Just visualize that your body isn't just eating those tiny portions. It is also eating up about 4x as much stored in your fat cells! So actually, you are having meat and veggies through your mouth, PLUS all those pizzas, pasta, and desserts from the past!

[phenterminediett]

So actually, you are having meat and veggies through your mouth, PLUS all those pizzas, pasta, and desserts from the past!

lol... that's so cute
Just thinking about it now I just bet it'd work fantastically too. Totally stealing that one


---Monica

[DoctorIrokezov]

thank you so much everyone! i just had breakfast (i eat breakfast instead of lunch) on protocol and i feel so full. i think its also really important to know that all my other cravings are called cravings for a reason. my body clearly doesn't need them!