My Progress - Part deux

[Strathy]

Hello Everyone - I'm back!!

After a very successful round 1 (you can read about it here: http://hcgweight.com/forum/index.php?topic=376.0) I'm back for round 2.

My personal stats are:  38 yr old male - 6'1".  Started round 1 at 326 lbs - finished at 273 lbs.  Been overweight for 15 yrs.  Aiming for 220 or whatever feels right around that weight - it's been so long since I weighed 220 that I'm can't really remember if that was thin or still heavy for me.  We will see in 6 weeks or so.

I've been off the juice for 6 weeks exactly and am ready to get back on it.  I plan to go another double round of 45 days.

I loaded (blissfully) for the past 3 days and weighed in this morning at 276 - 3 lbs more than what my final weight was at the end of round 1.  I also added a new step between the end of the no-carb days and the beginning of my load days which I've decided to lovingly call my "pre-load" days. lol.  After the 3 weeks of no carbs I was ready to get all carbed up - and so I ate ... a lot ... much like how I used to eat, except this time watching the scale.  Other than a lb or 2 if I ate late at night, there was no weight gain.  WOW - I'm loving it!  NOTE:  this might not work for everyone. 

I must say, day 1 of round 2 was a lot easier than day 1 of round 1.  Very little hunger - peeing like a racehorse and generally feeling good.  Hope this continues.

Will keep you all posted every couple of days - same as round one.

[Lopaka]

Strathy-

a 50+ Ib. weight loss in 1 round is awesome.  How long did you wait before embarking on round 2?  And, it seems, you didn't gain any weight since the first round.  Am I right?  Did you stick with phase 3 in between?

[Strathy]

I waited exactly 6 weeks to the day ... I marked it off on my calender.  I've followed the protocol to the letter for the most part except a bit of experimentation with foods.  I discovered, for me, that I can add a bit more protein and still lose 1 lb a day - plus I mix tomatoes with cucumbers in my mixed greens salad without any adverse effects.  I've also occasionally used cottage cheese as the protein without any problems.  This round I want to try an egg or two and see what effect it might have on my loss.

I did not gain any weight on PH3 - I followed the plan very closely.  3 weeks of no carbs (except fruit) and then 3 weeks of sensible eating (with the odd pizza thrown in for good measure.)  No alcohol - no candy or sugar.  Oh, except some ice cream a couple of times.  I found the 2nd part of PH3 to be easy - I enjoyed having a thinner body and didn't want to ruin it.  It actually kind of felt like Christmas morning for 6 weeks - going by a full length mirror would still stop me cold as I paused to figure out who was looking back at me.  Bought some new clothes as my old stuff ... well, lets say I had to punch new holes in my belt to keep my pants up.

[Lopaka]

That's really encouraging.  I'm on the vlcd for another 12 days.  Can't wait for Ph3.   I only need to lose another 12-15 Ibs. to reach my ideal weight.  Of course, there's always the concern about gaining it back.  If I can make it through Ph 2, Ph 3 is easy, as long as I keep my focus.

[Strathy]

Crap!  Forgot to keep this updated.  Here we go:

Today is day 17 of Round 2 for me.
I started at 276 lbs.
Today I was 255 - for a loss of 21 lbs.
Including round 1 with the results of round 2 so far, I've lost a total of 71 lbs.  Who, in their right mind, can possibly say HCG does not work?!?

I've had to purchase all new clothes except my work pants which I cinch up around my waist like an old set of window curtains.  I've gone from 44-46 pant size down to 38's that are now just right, but will likely be loose on me in another couple of weeks.

Hunger has not been such a great problem for me on round 2.  I also found the initial couple of days just an adjustment not a battle like round 1.  I do seem to have more cravings this time around and have been doing some experimenting with other (non-authorized) foods.  I've discovered (for me) that most fruits work the same as the apples.  I can replace the apple in the morning with a homemade fruit salad and still lose my lb a day.  I am also using a lot more cottage cheese this round with no problem still losing.  I would advise those of you who are having problems with sticking to the diet to experiment a bit.  See if you can find a few different foods that really appeal to you that don't trigger a stoppage in the weight loss and go for it.

This round I made up a calendar in Excel and printed it out counting down 45 days.  Then each morning I mark my new weight and put an "X" through yesterday.  The X's are piling up!  It gives me a bit more inspiration to keep going.

My next milestone is 1/2 way through round 2 in 5 days.  It's all downhill from there.

[Rae]

Wow~that's wonderful!
I'm so happy for you!

[Kristofski]

Round1 turned amazing results for you! Oh I hope it works that well for me! I wanna loose 40.
Congrats and good luck on r2!

[StanCo]

Congrats... Sounds like everyone is doing well.  I started out at 328 pounds with Atrial Fibulation of the heart and high blood pressure.  After 4 solid months on the protocol I'm down 95 pounds, no A-fib & normal blood pressure.  No hunger.  Our nutritionists really know their stuff, and have incorporated new findings and discoveries into the protocol.  We watch our ketosis closely.

[June Bride]

Wow!!!  What awesome results!  Hearing stories like yours keeps us all fighting the good fight.  My husband also has experienced great success.  From phase 1 and a 35 day round of phase 2, he has lost about 60 pounds.  We just finished our 2 loading days, and look forward to seeing the scales tip in our favor again!
Drea