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See all the hCG interview episodes
These are in-depth conversations one-on-one with hCG ladies where you get to hear their whole weight loss story and the tips that helped them succeed.
 
Read short written hCG testimonials
These are short testimonials of ladies who’ve written in their hCG diet results to me for quick motivation.

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Bridgette’s Basic Stats:

Age: 31
Height:5’6’’
Starting weight: 153lbs
Current Weight:: 135 lbs.
Total weight loss: 18 lbs
Starting Size: Tight Size 8
HCG got her to: Size 4/6

Here’s a summary of the interview, after which you will find the longer version.

Bridgette works with an hCG health clinic, SaJune Institute for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine in Orlando, Florida. She had been working with patients doing the hCG for almost 3 years before she tried doing the hCG. She knew the protocol very well and she coach the patients weekly. She did 2 short rounds. First round she used sublingual hCG and the second round she did the injections.

Adrenal Fatigue

Their clinic does hormone level testings to help patients address the issue before doing the hCG protocol.

Things that can help in adrenal fatigue:
Adrenal Supplements – they have a product called Adrenal Forte which is all herbs.
Mind-Body Stress Reduction – Restorative yoga program or deep breathing everyday can help.

She said that if your adrenals are moderately depleted then that’s still okay but if your adrenals are really depleted what they see is, you’ll still lose on hCG  no matter what but you might not lose as fast and you won’t keep it off just easily. So you’ll lose it but when you’re on maintenance the weight comes back up slowly.

Phase 2

One very intriguing thing Bridgette shared is that hCG promotes testosterone production that’s why people retain their muscle mass but people actually gain muscles if they do a higher calorie protocol and some light resistance training during the program. But if you’re on the 500 calories you don’t want to do that This is just something she discovered based on seeing so many patient go through the program.

Cauliflower Soup

• Cauliflower
• Chicken Broth
• Salt
• Pepper

Cook the cauliflower in chicken broth, add some salt and pepper to taste then blender it. Add more water as needed.
For variety you can also add your shrimp to the soup after you blender it.

Phase 3

She said she did P3 for 6 weeks. Gradually increasing calories and introducing vegetable with higher carb count on Week 4, like squashes.
She also did a Protein Day, just like Steak Day but you can eat any protein. She did say that it seems steak is better for her than other proteins.

Now in Phase 4

Bridgette did intermittent fasting and she’s now on a ketogenic diet and doing HIIT workouts.

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Here’s the more detailed version of the interview:

Bridgette works with an hCG health clinic, SaJune Institute for Restorative and Regenerative Medicine in Orlando, Florida, that specializes in hormone replacement therapy, weight management programs, nutrition, and other holistic therapies.

She had been working with patients doing the hCG diet for almost 3 years before she tried doing the protocol herself. She did 2 short rounds; she used sublingual hCG for the first round and for the second round, she did the injections.

Trying out the protocol herself

Bridgette knew the hCG protocol inside out and she regularly coached their patients throughout the program, however, she had never opted to try it out for herself.

Bridgette has always been very active. She worked out regularly and ate right, but when her life circumstances changed a bit after she moved and changed jobs, she was not able to work out regularly anymore. She also started feeling a lack of energy and that was when she found out that her thyroid needed help. Bridgette also felt that her clothes were not fitting right even though she thought she looked okay in the mirror. She never really weighed herself so she didn’t know whether she needed to lose some weight or not.

After finding out that her weight was at 153 pounds, she finally decided to take advantage of her knowledge of the diet and the fact that she works in an hCG clinic. She also thought it would be great if she would be able to share her first hand experience with her patients when coaching them. Not only that, but she know she would be able to relate with her patients better and maybe even give better tips if she herself knows what it’s like to be on the hCG diet,

At first, Bridgette only wanted to lose 10 pounds, but after her first round, she modified her goal to losing 15 to 20 pounds.

Addressing her thyroid condition

Bridgette’s mother has a thyroid issue and she knew it can sometimes be hereditary so, over the years, Bridgette has had her thyroid levels tested periodically. After she found out that her thyroid was considered normal, but on the low end, she started taking a natural thyroid hormone (Westhroid) which has worked really well for her. She has more energy now so she can work out regularly. She’s on a really good routine of weight training and high intensity exercise.

During the interview, Bridgette mentioned that their clinic does hormone level testings to help patients address hormonal issues, like adrenal fatigue, before doing the hCG protocol. They have an adrenal supplement called Adrenal Forte, which is all herbs, that can help with the syndrome, as well as a mind-body stress reduction program that includes restorative yoga and deep breathing exercises.

Bridgette also mentioned that if your adrenals are moderately depleted then that’s still okay, but if your adrenals are really depleted, what they see is you’ll still lose weight on hCG no matter what, but you might not lose it as fast and you won’t keep it off just easily. You’ll lose weight, but when you’re on maintenance the weight comes back up slowly.

You can also check out my blog post on the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism for more information.

Phase 2

Bridgette’s hCG dose was 200 iu. According to her, she was more strict during her first round than her second. She also  mentioned that she did a lot of soups during P2 and she shared her personal recipe for cauliflower soup which is super easy.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower
• Chicken Broth
• Salt
• Pepper

Making the soup is similar to making cauliflower mash but with more liquid. You just need to boil the cauliflower in chicken broth, turn it into a puree using a blender. Bridgette just uses salt and pepper for the taste, but she did say you can use any seasoning you feel like using. She also adds shrimp to her soup for variety.

One very intriguing thing Bridgette shared is that hCG promotes testosterone production that’s why people retain their muscle mass. Doing exercises that are too hard or intense is not advisable, however, people gain lean muscles if they do a higher calorie diet and some light resistance training during the program. This is just something she discovered based on seeing so many patient go through the program.

Phase 3

Bridgette did P3 for 6 weeks. She said that gradually increasing calories (for her it was 100-200 calories a week) was best and this is also what she recommends to her patients. She recommends the gradual increase until you get to your max level. She also suggests introducing vegetables with higher carb count, like squashes, on Week 4 similar to what she did.

Bridgette also did a Protein Day, which is just like a Steak Day, but where you can eat any protein. However, she did say that it seems steak is still better for her than other proteins.

Now in Phase 4

Bridgette did intermittent fasting and she’s now on a ketogenic diet and doing HIIT workouts. Eating a high fat diet keeps her satisfied and she doesn’t really have any cravings for sweets or starches.

In terms of intermittent fasting, for Bridgette, it’s just like scheduled eating. It also helps her Burn her fats stores for energy. Although she doesn’t believe it’s for everyone, she does recommend experimenting with it so you can find out if it will work for you. She did add that it is, of course, not recommended for those with adrenal fatigue.

You can read more about intermittent fasting in one of my previous posts.

She ‘s had a good experience with ketogenic diet and she consumes about 60%-70% fat, 20%-30% protein, and 5%-10% carbs,

Bridgette also mentioned that she used to drink bulletproof coffee, but stopped. However, she has recently started to incorporate coconut oil or MCT oil to her coffee.

Working with her patients

For Bridgette, the hCG protocol changed her eating habits for the better because she now has healthier cravings.

However, the biggest struggle she experienced was the feeling of being isolated while on the diet. This is because she had to restrict herself whenever she’s out or in any social situation where there’s food and wine. She said that it took a lot of willpower and motivation so this is something she always talks to her patients about.

With all the different people they work with at the clinic, their biggest struggle with the hCG diet, based on Bridgette’s observation, was the maintenance period of 6 weeks. This is the time when they’re off the hormone and they’re starting to make their own food choices again.

She always recommends keeping a food log and weighing daily. It’s important not to add sugars and carbs too soon during those 6 weeks before the new weight stabilizes.

Please watch the full interview to find out more about Bridgette’s personal hCG experience and also more about their clinic’s hCG program.

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