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HCGChica’s Little Pre-hCG Diet Thing
Note: Totally optional. Not a part of the original protocol at all.
This is not some really involved cleanse or 2 month thing and doesn’t involve buying any special fibers or herbs. I’m sure there would probably be great benefits to doing this, but I find it just ends being feeling like a little too much to add to a protocol that’s already fairly involved, and that can lead to simply never starting because of overwhelm.
Basically for a week to 10 days prior to loading on hCG, I not only reduce my carb intake drastically, I also purposefully eat a higher fat diet.
This may be totally unnecessary for some of you, and may not be healthy for some of you- this I cannot tell you- you will have to check with your doctor and use common sense based on your own individual circumstances.
For me, this has been a GREAT thing to do prior to hCG and has really helped my experience with hCG go more smoothly for the last 3 rounds.
Why This Was Good for Me to Do Before Starting hCG
I have what I call a sugar addiction. Really and truly. It’s easier for me to admit now, because one, it’s under control, and two, once I started talking about it, I discovered there are LOT of other people out there who resonated with me and told me they are in the same boat.
When I initially did the hCG diet for the first time, I simply started the diet like I had read to do.
I experienced some pretty severe carb/sugar withdrawals. Others have reported feeling extremely crappy, flu-like during the first week of the diet as their body detoxes and goes through withdrawals.
While this phenomenon may not be completely avoidable, my own experience was this effect was MUCH less of a problem by doing my little pre-hCG diet thing.
Basically, your first week on the diet can feel MUCH easier in some cases by doing this.
The feelings of carb withdrawal are not nearly as strong when they take place BEFORE starting hCG because you can be eating more calories, and higher fat, during that time, which I found really helps to mitigate the symptoms- whereas, if you wait to be on hCG to go through that, the symptoms feel a lot more pronounced because basically, there’s nothing to buffer it – no fat, no other foods, no calories.
It’s just you and hardly any carbs, hanging out together for the first time.
It’s helpful to have something to comfort you while you adjust to this new relationship, like some more calories from other sources like fat, which you can do before hCG starts.
2 Things You Can Achieve Doing This:
a. To clear your system of carbs so that your body will enter ketosis as soon as you start the VLCD (very low calorie diet) portion.
Why it’s good to be in ketosis: being in ketosis means your body has switched from using carb intake for fuel to using your fat for fuel. Being in ketosis causes you to feel not hungry. HCG will do this for you anyway, but getting into ketosis right away as well will make the first few days of the protocol while your body is adjusting to the diet much easier.
b. For anyone with strong daily sugar cravinge, binge habits, or candida issues, I have found this to be the quickest and most painless way to eliminate these cravings. It is specifically the high fat while eliminating all sugar entirely that cuts the cravings quickly and more painlessly. Key point here folks!
How to Do It
a. Eat low carb, high fat
b. No sugar or starches
c. Do not worry about calorie intake
d. Foods to eat (just examples):
High fat meats: bacon, pork chops sauteed in butter, lambchops, chicken thighs with skin (or chicken breast with butter) 😉
Veggies: low carb veggies doused with olive oil or butter- brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, avocado, squash,
snap peas, snow peas, mushrooms, fennel, bell pepper, green beans, etc.
Dairy: eggs, cheese, heavy whipping cream, sour cream butter, etc.
Sweeteners: Stevia, Erythritol, Xylitol, as needed.
Baked good ingredients as alternatives: flaxseed meal, almond meal (in moderation), coconut flour
e. Foods to avoid:
All fruit (if you are desperate berries are a good lower carb fruit)
Higher carb veggies: potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas
Grains: Wheat, Oats, Barley, even sprouted grains, rice, corn, etc.
Beans: hummus, baked beans, lentils, split peas, refried beans, black beans, etc.
Nuts: These are higher carb than you might think- small amount okay in moderation
Sugar: None of the obvious sugar- white sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc. You are smart you
know what I mean. 😉
So remember, this isn’t some instruction from some medical facility or some highly researched experiment – this is just something I tried on my last few rounds that I felt led to a much better result for me personally in multiple ways, and I’m sharing it in case you choose to try it – if you do and you feel it worked for you well, I’d love to hear from you through the contact me page on my site!
Importants to Consider if You Do This
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Weight loss at the start of the hCG diet may be different as in appearing lower.
Why:
When you start any diet pretty much, there is almost always a fairly significant loss of weight on the scale that first week or so, after which it slows down. The reason for this whoosh of weight loss is usually because a person is losing several pounds of water weight. Water weight is gained and lost fairly easily.
That’s why in some cases I don’t really believe that you are losing less fat during the following weeks of the hCG diet- I think the first week is just inflated losses on the scale because of the water weight woosh.
So the beginning of the hCG protocol is no different than other diets in this regard. Between whatever you were eating prior to the hCG protocol if it was not too healthy, combined with the loading phase where some may eat a high volume of foods laden with carbs and sugar (although you might want to check out my post on what clean loading is on hCG and why I do it) often times a person has a very high amount of weight loss in the first week on the diet – sometimes 7-12 pounds.
If you do this pre-hCG diet thing, it’s likely that you may lose this water weight during this little pre-hCG period of time instead of when actually on hCG – so that by the time you begin the hCG protocol, you won’t have as much water weight to be losing- making it appear as if your first week losses are less than the average person. But is that true? Not really right? While your scale losses may be lower, the difference is simply that you already lost the water weight pre-hCG and now the weight you are losing is fat, which does not come off nearly as quickly as water.
I hope that makes sense. Just wanted to clear up any confusion that may occur if you lose 3-5 lbs less the first week than what you see everyone else losing and think somehow doing the pre-hCG diet thing is less effective. It’s more likely that what I explained above is what is going on.
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If you are not addicted to sugar and have been eating pretty healthfully or eating a very low carb diet for a long period of time prior to starting hCG, this may not be the best choice for you.
Why:
I’ve been doing more reading recently about the role that healthy carbs play in healthy hormone levels. Enough time has passed now of people doing the Paleo diet and Low carb diets for some discoveries to have been made that, especially for women, chronic low carb diets with not enough healthy carbs from time to time at least, can contribute to adrenal fatigue, thyroid hormone problems and other disregulation of hormones. Some very good explanation of this I read recently in the book The Fast Metabolism Diet – the focus of her book is on healing the metabolism, so I don’t necessary believe all that she says would apply to every situation, but she has some interesting insights into how not having carbs as part of your diet some of the time, can over time, slow down your metabolism because of it’s effect on your hormones.
So that said, while this pre-hCG Diet thing is only for a week to ten days long, I just want to mention if any of you are starting this protocol after already being on a low carb diet for quite some time, it’s possible that some carbs before you start the diet may actually benefit you – you might want to just read her book for more info on that.
I think the vast majority of us beginning this diet are coming from a place of poor eating habits, in which case, I still feel clearing your system out a bit for a week before starting can be a great jumpstart.
But you know I always do my best to try to cover all scenarios so that EACH of you has the information you need to make the best choice in your own situation.
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Hi Julie,
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 🙂
I’m not sure about the back pain, we don’t have anyone emailing about that before but if you think it’s your kidneys and you did mention you’re drinking half of your weight in water then one thing that I read from one of Rayzel’s blog post is to drink your water throughout the day, healthy kidneys can process about a quarter gallon of water per hour at rest- that’s 1 quart. So it’s a good idea not to chug down a whole gallon of water in 20 minutes- You can read more about it here: https://hcgchica.com/water-intake-and-the-hcg-diet-7-tips-to-help-you-drink-the-right-amount-for-you/
We’re not really sure if it’s your kidneys or maybe just regular back pain.
Yes, others have reported their blood pressure improved from losing weight on the hCG diet, it’s best to consult your doctor about this especially when adjusting your medications. They would likely decrease your medication if your blood pressure does get a little bit better.
Hope that helps!
Hi did it without loading and lost 4 kgs in 15 days round using drops.. I dnt think it is critical to load while the drops are in our system.. I thk we are pre loaded already with fat or else we wldnt be needing it.. No hunger issues either since day 1 everything ran smoothly.. I love this diet, did it 3 yrs ago and kept the weight off by changing habits :more exercising less bing eating… Sorry girls no magical solutions! Had to redo it after i had to take a cortisone based shots for a mefical health.. Just implement new habit afterwards.. If you are above 40 you already know that your metabolism has slowed dwn.. And be patient girls during rounds dnt cimpare urself to other and eat in healthy way.. Good luck
Is there a special soap i need for showering? And also can i use my regular shampoo and conditioner for my hair.? I havent been able to find any information on these items.
Hmmm good question Marlene- to be honest I didn’t worry much about my soap, but now that you mention it, I guess it is something to consider – I mostly just tried to find products that didn’t list obvious oils/fats in the ingredients, so that’s what I would do.
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, it should be fine. What Rayzel does is she skip only 1-2 days on her heaviest flow days. She felt too nervous to skip longer than that! Some continue injecting through their period, others stop for the full duration. Skipping 1-2 days of heaviest flow is a reasonable approach. You do continue the 500 calorie protocol while on your time of month without hCG. The idea is that your body actually produces a small amount of hCG while on your period – so in effect it’s like your body is providing you your daily hCG dose for those days and potentially taking your injection also could be too much hCG in effect causing hunger. That’s the idea anyway.
I hope that answers your question 😉
Dear HCGChica,
I love your website and I have done 3 rounds of HCG in the last year using your website to help me. I have also just ordered your workbook. I am planning to start round 4 in 2 weeks but I am worried because in round 3 I only lost 7lbs. I lost most of these in the first two weeks and then I lost and gained the same 2lbs over the next 2 weeks. I have IBS so this makes things harder. I am planning to go grissini and fruit free this time but do you have any more advice? Do you have others with IBS here in your forum?
Hi Phillipa,
Thank you for your kind words. I hope that you will find the workbook helpful as you start your next round.
The thing with hCG is that there is just no guarantee how a person’s body will respond to it. Every hCG round is different – you can’t really expect to get the same results with each round. Also, as you get leaner, your weight loss eventually also slows down. Rayzel herself lost only 7 lbs during one of her rounds, while with her other rounds she lost substantially more.
Sorry we don’t have much info on IBS. We did receive one email from someone saying her IBS was cured when she went vegan but that’s from just one person. You might want to research more about that. You might also want to watch this one interview, she’s doesn’t really have IBS but she did take some supplements for her digestive tract, it’s this episode: http://hcgchica.com/hcg-weight-loss-menopause-interview-episode-51/
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
I am soooo scared of the loading days 4 the start of my 2nd round as I have gained a fair amount of weight back during a holiday on phase 4……… do I have to load???
Hi Mary! Yes you will have to load with hCG in your system – you can do a clean load though and usually this doesn’t cause a large gain – Rayzel’s info on that is here:
http://hcgchica.com/loading-low-carb-clean-hcg-diet/
Hi hcgchica,
I have been doing the hhcg drops since 2010. I usually do the protocol once a year – loose about 15 to 20lbs. The problem is that the weight loss does not stick and creeps back up 10 pounds over some months. So essentially I am taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I am at my wits end as to how to keep the weight off. I am contemplating round 9 but will not start until I have figured out how to keep it off. Seeking your wisdom.
Hello Trípti and HCGChica!
I have the very same question. Is there a difference between the HCG injections and the drops in terms of how well they work? I have heard that there is a difference in the effectiveness of the injectsions vs. the drops. Also, where are you sourcing your drops? Are you getting them from one of the compaunding pharmacies recommended on this site. There are a lot of disreputable actors out there that don’t necessarily produce a pharmaceutical grade HCG solution with the proper ratios of HCG to medium, I think some good research has been put into the recommendations for the docs and pharmacies on this site; so if you are already using one of those, then that’s not the problem. I’m just starting Phase 2 right now, and looking into Phase 3 recommendations today, to prepare for other ways to keep the weight off. I have used HCG before also, and did not keep the weight off – so I need to look closely at my eating behaviors and what I will do differently this time. I would love it if HCGChica and other experienced HCGer’s who’ve kept the weight off for at least a couple of years, would please provide some advice here. Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Ty!
Rayzel actually just published a blog post about HHCG drops vs real hCG here: https://hcgchica.com/hcg-injections-vs-hcg-homeopathic-drops/
Rayzel has a fair amount of free info on her site regarding Phase 3 that will likely help you – that’s here:
http://hcgchica.com/phase-3-questions/
Also if you end up wanting something more structured and specific, Rayzel now has a full-fledged phase 3 program people are stabilizing excellently on- you can check into that here: p3tolife.com
I hope this helps!
Lucelle
Rayzel’s assistant
Hi i will be starting my hcg drops Monday and all this information is helpful but im scared i may fail before i even start any suggestions or tips on making this work. How long is phase1? Yes im that lost and when to start phase2 yup i went there lol thank you in advance,
Hi I just ordered my HcG shots. Waiting ?. Does it come with instructions on what to do based on what to eat daily. Pre, starting, post
Day 11 for me and I have not lost 1 ounce! Tried different doses until i hit on the right one — injecting in belly every morning. Following the diet to a T. I am discouraged….
I am on Day 13 and have not lost 1 ounce. Strictly following HCG diet – adjusted dose over a couple days and still nothing. I am 58 and on HRT. i don’t understand….i am at wits end…
Before I decided to stick myself every day, I did a lot of research. I really couldn’t find anything detrimental to HCG, so decided to do it. I cleaned out kitchen cabinets and fridge, downloaded HCG recipes, went shopping, etc. I purchased my 5000iu HCG kit from local doctor/medspa. Today is day 8 and i have not lost one ounce 🙁 I am VERY discouraged. I am 58 years old and also going through menopause — could no weight loss be due to the fact that I am also on bio-dentical HRT? Any suggestions?
Go to hcgdietinfo.com and check out the boards. There are a TON of people active there who are doing it/have done it. They will be able to answer your questions 🙂
This is day 4 for me. I did the two days at fat loading and then yesterday stuck to the diet perfectly. However I am 2 lbs heavier this morning. Is this normal! I keep hearing 7 lbs in a week, I’m hoping it will be the same for me!!!!!
@Mary Caprino Tedeschi – that sounds like a water retention gain from sodium to be that much – did you by chance have soup or something salty like pickles yesterday? Likely it will be gone plus more tomorrow. Rayzel
Wow, you know what I did have soup!! Today it was off! I did my weigh in and I lost 4 lbs!! Thankyou !!”
hehe I knew it! 😉 I had a 2lb gain from soup before too- the main thing is knowing it’s just water from the salt, and not fat – I had soup every day during my final round of hCG in the fall – you kind of get a salt retention baseline lol and then from that point on your good. Glad you had such a great loss!
I am really missing my coffee creamer in the morning! Any suggestions. It seems even if they are sugar free they contain veg oil! Also wine and vodka ever cheat??
i just spoke to my NP today. He told me you can expect some weight gain but you should lose then soon.
I’ve started and in r1p2d22l9.8 and looking to do a 40 injection round I am having the hardest time with oranges and I thought I could eat dandelion greens as a vegetable my loss has not released much and feeling discourage a bit. Can I correct the slow release or should I just stop take a break and start over again?
Hi @Weazieb – it’s hard to know what to recommend not knowing the details- slow losses are in the eye of the beholder depending on what a person thinks should be normal. Can you tell me exactly how many pounds you have lost in how many days on Phase 2 so far? The average weight loss is half pound per day average, average meaning you will lose more some days and less other days, but most end up losing a total of about 20 lbs in 40 days or so by the end- those who are less overweight (20 lbs or less) have a lower average, and those more overweight (50 lbs or more) usually have a slightly higher average weight loss, and this is all normal. Not sure if that helps. – Rayzel
I did 23 days on phase 2, I lose total of 14.8 lbs. I dedcided to break because I started to to whelp up on my shoulder and on one side of my stomach. The weather had been miserably hot. As of today I am in the second day with no injection and will eat healthy and start again in October.
I am going to try this because I can’t stop eating sugar. The harder I want to do the diet, the more sugar I want. I am really struggling.
Usually when you are craving sugar like you describe, you have a magnesium deficiency.
I have been on l week of phase 2 and have loss 11.8 lbs. My question is I have very high blood pressure and need to lose 60 lbs asap. Should I stop after 6 weeks to stabilize or continue on longer on p2.? Thank you! I am 58 yrs young.
Hi Julie,
How are you doing? As of October 2015, I’m 58 years young as well! I’m planning to do the pre-hcg diet for 7 days, then start the injections. I saw your post, and I’m wondering how you’re doing?
Is it ok to do low carb for 10 days and I then unglued the fruit on protocol? I really want to do it exact
Hi @Leah – I assume you meant “include” the fruit right? :)- Must be that iphone haha! Yes, you can totall do that. – Rayzel
Hi Rayzel!!!
It’s Day 1 P1 and I made it through your no carb approach days before starting.
I had breakfast but IT WAS HARD TO EAT! I can’t believe I don’t fee like eating and I’m suppose to GORGE….Did you have this issue when loading clean??
Hey @disqus_9djlnoId4O:disqus! Awesome- that’s cool to hear you decided to try the low carb before hCG thing. Yes I did have that issue- hCG really does make you feel not hungry (although you wlil probably wish you could eat more once on the 500 calories just being honest – takes away hunger but you won’t feel full) – but yes while loading it was very hard to eat – I did try to eat high fat/high calorie foods, but I refused to make myself sick, so I just tried to keep it in balance that way- I did end up eating about 4000 calories each day my load days last round and I did feel YUCK the 2nd night and woke up first day of the vlcd STILL full lol, so I knew I was ready for the diet part!
Hi @disqus_9djlnoId4O:disqus and Rayzel! Raging sugar addict here! I’m about to start the no carb, pre-hCG thing in a few days and planning to follow it for one week before loading day #1. Was hoping to get an update on how you did Lulu!?
Hi @Ronkle I would love to hear what you think of this little method after it’s over – I am so curious to see if it ends up working for other people. Thanks for writing! – Rayzel
Need to clarify. It’s not carbs in general, but the high processed refined carbs that are the issues. The pasta and breads and possibly even starchy carbs, even if they claim to be whole grain.
Being vegan, I am based in carbs, but have NEVER experienced any of the issue you mentioned. My carb base, however, centers around veggie based carbs. I did have a shift in my diet due to hcg, which forced me tl embrace more whole foods verses processed.
I do also increase my in take of fats through nuts during my load. I love clean fat fast type load – ie all macademia or cashews for my load days. I do include a salad at dinner and don’t count the calories for the day, but minimize other fruits and veggies. I find that I have smaller load weight doing this as well. I know you have problems with nuts, and others may as well, but seeds could also be a great addition, tahini (sesame seeds) and sunflower seed butter.
Great suggestions for meat eaters to clean it up to limit detox symptoms.
Hey @hCGVeganChic:disqus thanks for commenting!
hey! would you like to keep in touch. i have been on & off vegan based on what i am working on regarding my weight, health, and my available options. i am very passionate. let’s keep in touch yes?
I like to juice daily. What type of juicing recipes while on phase 2?
Thanks,
Cathy