My HCG Weight Loss Trial - Atlanta, GA

Hello good people, I'm writing this review of my experience with HCG mainly because no one really has. Several people have mentioned it in their reviews about other procedures they have had done, i.e." Now after much wt loss I'm having a TT" ect. I'm at the magical age where hormones rule the day, hour by hour. The hardest part is probably the weight gain and the seemingly inability to loss weight. So I did a little research and checked with Dr. Oz, of course! So here I am. What appealed to me is that once you reach your goal wt that your body can be tricked into thinking this is "comfy" wt it likes to be at, I've seen several reports that the experts think it somehow resets the hypothalamus . I'm no doctor, and I have no clue what claims can be verified, but as of right now, they don't know how hcg works, they just know it does. Here is the jist of it, HCG is a hormone that your body naturally produces all the time in small amounts. It's present in large amounts while you are pregnant, it's what pregnancy tests detect for positive results. When you are pregnant this hormone burns your fat so that the baby can get it's necessary nutrients, the theory is when you're not pregnant and you have extra of this hormone in you system combined with a vlcd ( very low calorie diet) that it attacks stored fat. Yes this is safe and very effective for men as well, of course as usual they usually have great losses on this regimen. The diet consists of several phases,( I'm on phase 2, vlcd part. ) Phase 1 is the "loading" phase and is only two glorious day, for these two day you take your hcg but eat high calorie fatty foods. I'm exactly sure why this is done , theory is something to do with resetting, I don't know and frankly didn't care. Phase 2 is the calorie diet, 500-800 cal per day depending on which protocol you are following. I'm following the original Dr. Seimions Pounds and Inches protocol which is 500 cal per day, no oil, no fat, no sugar, no fun. There are new protocols out there that probably work just as well still base on the same original principles, Pounds and Inches was written in the 50's and food and makeup products have change drastically since. I mention makeup because we are to wear oil free makeup and oil free lotions. Phase 2 last between 28-41 days depending on your needs. Next is Phase 3 the maintenance phase, where you eat very healthy and well maintain .
So here are my stats, I'm 41.5, I am 5' 4" and the day I started is was 175.5 lbs. Mind you I had a tummy tuck in Jan of this year. I thought I weighed different ( due to a broken scale) So I feel like a liar on my other posts. I called my doctors office and asked what I weighed on there scale the day before surgery, yup 175, so about 4-5 wks after surgery I did lose 8 lbs, but the second I started eating having some wine, so on I was right back to 175. That's when I realized my body thinks this it's comfy wt, like this is what I should always should weigh. That is just to heavy for me, it's uncomfortable and may cause breast growth, I had a reduction last Aug! So all that to be said, I'm going for it! I was inspired by many other testimonies, people who have actually kept off the wt, and from women who are my age and older keeping off the extra pounds. Most can be found on Youtube, and I follow a couple of bloggers who have wonderful information and recipes available. This HCG is like a religion with a cult following, so if you choose this diet you will not be alone. My favorite site right now is HCG Diet Recipes made simple, she's awesome and has info on all the different protocols, great food ideas, and is pretty motivating in general. Okay back to stats, I took my first shot on March 29,2014, I did my two loading days and gained 1 pound. I also get a B12 shot which has Lipoden (fat burner) one time a week. It came with the program I signed up with. By the way folks the average cost per cycle is about $500 and a cycle can be as short as 28 days, so shop around, I got my great deal on Groupon and love my clinician, she's so committed to helping others get healthy.
Age 41.5
Height 5'4"
Arm 13.5
upper Ab 33.0
Waist at BB 34.5
Hip 46.5
Thigh 30.0
Knee 16.5
Calf 16.5BMI 34.2 ( Online calculator )
Okay my disclaimer, After my TT in Jan I have been holding most of my swelling in my hips, butt, and thighs. My thighs were 27.5 day before surgery. I also have very fat knees as you can see and thick calves, I really want to see if hcg will effect my knees as this lovely trait runs in the family, lucky me. It's one of those places that once you gain there it may never come off, it's a genetic stubborn fat area, along with other places on my body lol! So for me the knees will be the true gold standard of fat burning! I will add pictures shortly!

Here are a couple of before pictures. I also have my first after picture. I have seen a difference in the areas I was hoping to lose. A small fat roll under my bra area the fat pocket on the side of my thigh, and even the knees. I haven't been asked if I lost weight by anyone yet, so I think the changes are suttle. My husband on the other hand says I've lost plenty and thinks I'm doing great. I don't have to many pictures from before, here's what I got.

So after 4 wks odd this pretty restrictive diet, remembering to take my daily, and some days my weekly shot, I was ready to be done with this. I was starting to wonder if all this suffering is worth it. Well hell ya it is! I'm so excited about my current stats. I'm going to do 2 more weeks! This is not easy by any means, it takes a LOT of self control. You learn real hunger from mind hunger. You learn to avoid events that trigger mind hunger. Learning to get over cravings is a definite challenge, especially since I'm coming to my monthly friend, and the end of my HCG cycle. I'm kinda looking forward to Phase 3 , and getting to eat a little more variety. The next phase is critical to stabilize my wt. I decided to do my update now because of being so close to my monthly, so my stats can be more accurate. Speaking of which ;
Weight; 160.0 March 29,2014, 174.0
Arm ; 13.0. 13.5
Abs.; 32.5. 34.5
Hip ; 44.5. 46.5
Thigh; 25.0. 30.0
Knee ; 16.0. 16.5
Calf ; 16.1/4 16. 5
BMI ; 27.4. 29.8

So guys that's 14 lbs. and 11 inches!!!!
In about 4 weeks!!!!!!
I'm not going to lie, I'm really, really pleased, but it is in the back of my mind will I be able to keep it off? I know other's have and I'm hoping I'm one of the success stories. I'm now taking a Biotin supplement to help prevent hair loss, it's one of the more common side effects, especially if you had hair loss after pregnancy. It's important to also take a multi-vitamin, you need to get all your essential minerals. I do have a friend who lost to fast and was not taking a vitamin, her potassium dropped and caused her to have heart palpitations. That's NOT good, So listening to your body, and the care of a physician is important. (She admitted not seeing a doctor)

Knee ; 16.0
Calf ; 16.1/4
BMI ; 27.4

Okay, sorry I couldn't edit before posting. The second set of numbers you see by the stats is what they were a month ago. I looked right but when I clicked, it came out all wrong.
Also, I have arrows pointing to the two fat pockets that I wanted to reduce. They are shrinking, yay! I also wanted to say, yes I'm burning fat, and have noticed my cellulite is more visible, you can see in the photos, I've been doing light work outs all along, a trainer at the gym said to do lots of squats and lunges and that it should diminish with time.

Hi all, so as much as I wanted to do two more wks of HCG, I just couldn't! I took my last shot on the 26th of April. I think my body was becoming somewhat immune to the positive effects of hcg. So I decided it was a good time to start the stabilization process. I really have to admit, I'm so pleasantly surprised. For the first time maybe ever, I only gained one pound while on my cylce! That's never happened, I usually gain 5-6 lbs! I'm eating between 800-1200 calories a day, I'm tracking all my intake and exercise on an app. Still no sugar or starches, although I can have a little alcohol. I weigh myself every morning, it's critical to do so, if I gain 2 lbs I need to do a correction day, which is drink fluids all day, then eat a steak and one veggie for dinner. I'm excited to say I haven't had to that yet. I'm truly maintaining so far. I've changed my taste buds and I'm excited about changing my health, the restrictive diet gave me the opportunity to make awesome new habits. I also read the book Wheat Belly, and my BLEW MY MIND! I'M so committed to remain wheat free gluten free, that stuff is poison to the body! I recently went out to a local hang out spot, and man did I get ton of compliments, it was such a great feeling! My son came by for a visit from college and he was shocked, he said didn't I just see you a couple of weeks ago! ? What did you do, you look great! HCG, kid approved!

Ok guys so I had a little to much fun on Friday night. The next day I woke up i weighed 158.5, lowest in a long time, i was oh wow, cool! That lasted till Sunday, oops,2lb gain! Yup it's a delayed reaction. So for Cinco De Mayo, when I should of cheated with a margarita, I was starving myself through a correction day. I choose the steak day, so no eating all day, lots of drinking of water. Then by dinner (early too , like 6!) nice sized steak with tomato cooked with spinach. Well it worked! Today I'm back at 160 which is my weight that I'm trying to stabilize. I really hope I make better choices in my future, I don't want to have to do another correction day. I'm truly hoping this program will work for me. Two more weeks of phase 3, I know I can do this!

Hello folks, so finished wks 2, I'm still maintaining, yay! I'm having a little carbs lately, gluten free of course! I'm not really supposed to have sugar and starchy foods but wine is okay? So I'm like instead of wine I will have a little carb or real (raw) sugar only 2-3tsp in coffee or tea. I learned my lesson last week from over indulging, not worth it! I'm meticulously charting everything thing I eat or drink that has calories. I can't lie to myself this way, I don't like it, but I don't like being fat either! My fitness pal app makes it pretty easy too, I need to be accountable, at least to myself, so this works. I had a very busy week and I only got two work outs in. ( insert blah face) I'm still excited, I feel like a new me, I hate that I have top be food & weight obsessed, but it's the only way tp avoid becoming a absent minded eater/drinker. I literally bought a drink, added it to my intake for the day, and said hell no, when I saw the break down pop up on the screen, I left the drink untouched.II'm committed dammit! I like feeling good, looking good, getting compliments more then food and booze! Being wheat free, low sugar really helps it has stopped the feedbag hunger cylce in it's tracks! My goal is 3 more inches lost at my waist, I think I can do this, one more week of phase 3, then I can have a little more variety, which is nice, but I willproceed great caution! Good luck on journeys gals!I'm posting a picture, I don't know if it's the snug panties, or what but I seem a little puffy. Took it at the end of the day, could be mild swelling (TT).... I promise same weight though.

I'm such a cheater! So I really didn't make it 21 days of no sugar, no starchy foods. I started having a tiny bit a sugar, usually in coffee or small treat. So I have tracked what I eat, and do cool, at the end of each day I look at the pie chart to see how I ate, I love My Fitness Pal! I find it so helpful, so basically I'm kinda Phase 4ing it. So on to Phase 4, which is the end of the diet, and the beginning of a new lifestyle of eating. I'm at 158.8 today, I started at 175, I'm pleased with the results, I'm encouraged to continue in losing a little more, I'm not sure about doing more HCG to do it though. I know that doing it to long, or to many cycles back to back (even if you wait the 6 wks between cycles) can cause hair loss. I do know of someone who did just that a couple of years ago and her normal thickness never really returned. I'm convinced that a healthy weight is 80% diet, 20% exercise. I'm not considering myself a success story yet, but I feel I'm on the right track! The tracking of calories is very , very helpful, I got this off the internet it's great because I set my app to have the middle of the line calories, so if I eat under, it's okay, and
I can eat as much as 1800 cs l, and not gain, super helpful! You all have a great weekend, and stay positive!

I'm so excited to share with you all that it took a minute but I made it to my first big goal, I'm 155.8! It counts 155 was my big stepping stone, my ultimate goal is 145ish , this diet was so tough but do worth it. I'm still losing and still surprised at how NOT hungry I am. Someone said it resets you, they might be right. I eat very little sugar & carbs and I feel good, the compliments every time I go out are pretty good incentive to stay on track! Working out at the gym hasn't really worked out lately, so long walks, short jogs have been all I can do, I hope I can get back to longer harder workouts this week. Kids home all day isa rreadjustment for sure. I'm due to start my cylce, not only did I not gain weight for once in my life I lost! !!!!! I'm over the moon, I'm so glad I read Wheat Belly during this diet, the combo was such a game changer for me. Friends whatever you are doing to be a better you, don't quit over a bad day, or even a bad run, just shake it off and go find the healthier you. The pictures I'm posting I look a bit puffy, I think it's pms, but odds it's not extra wt. They are not the best pics I've posted but I'm still proud.

Good day folks! I'm sorry I haven't updated, but I'm still keeping my weight steady! I'm very excited about this, I really think hcg must help"reset" the body. I hate to admit that I have not worked out in alVee Dubb.......11am or noonish. 154 Grape Creek road...Milner.most three months. I have maintained my weight though with diet, I believe going gluten free has helped tremendously. I am trying to figure out how to get back into the swing of working out again, I see the softness and I'm not a fan! I feel blessed to have found hcg! I only weighed about 5-7 lbs lighter after my TT, so still had most of the weight from the before picture I posted. ...amazing. ..

Okay,update should say, hate to admit I haven't worked out in almost three months! Don't know what that mumbo-jumbo is!