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How Long Do I (Can I) Do the hCG Diet?
In a nut shell, anytime between 3-6 weeks long.
Original Length of Time Per Dr. Simeons
After going over his manuscript again, his direction was basically:
- Do the diet a minimum of 3 weeks
- Don’t go beyond 40 actual injections (different from # of days on the diet- we’ll discuss more in a bit)
What If You Have More Weight To Lose?
Which is usually the case right? If you have more weight to lose than you can lose in one round of hCG, you do multiple rounds of the diet with breaks between- the length of hCG Diet breaks are discussed here, and this is why breaks from hCG are a good idea.
This whole process is done in short batches, whereafter you take a break and stabilize (called Phase 3 and Phase 4) – these breaks are IMPORTANT you guys, for multiple reasons, discussed in the articles I just linked to.
Back to Length of hCG Rounds
Dr. Simeons stated at least 23 injections, and no more than 40 injections. When he said “23 injections” etc that included all injections, including the ones taken on the loading days, so technically speaking it would be 21 injections while on the 500 calorie diet. Additionally, on the longer 40ish day rounds, many people skip 1 injection a week based off the original protocol, so the number of days you’d be on the 500 calorie diet overall would be a bit longer.
Example:
23 injections – 2 days of loading with injections = 21 days of 500 calorie diet with injections + 2 days of 500 calorie diet without hCG at the end = 23 days of 500 calorie diet total.
Another example:
40 injections – 2 days of loading with injections = 38 days of 500 calorie diet with injections + 6 days of 500 calorie diet without an injection (the once a week no shot day) = 44 days of 500 calorie diet with injections + 2 days of 500 calories without hCG (at end) = 46 days of 500 calorie diet total.
Additionally, regarding a woman’s menstruation he says, “During menstruation, no injections are given, but the diet is continued and causes no hardship; yet as soon as the menstruation is over, the patients become extremely hungry unless the injections are resumed at once.” This means that a woman might possibly end up being on vlcd even longer than 45-46 days to get to her 40th injection if you take this into account.
But honestly, I don’t believe you have to get this anal about it – if you look on your calendar you mainly want to plan out, what days you will load, and how many days you will be on the 500 calorie diet.
So within the boundaries of what he said…..
The basic idea is to do the hCG diet for at least 3 weeks. But you are not required to do a full 40 injections once you pass the 3 week mark. So if you choose to stop on day 38, so be it. If you stop on day 34, so be it.
Does this work in real life?
I’ve done differing numbers of days on hCG- 38 days, 43 days, 23 days, etc. I have never attempted to do less than 3 weeks, the original shorter protocol that Dr. Simeons outlined, so I can’t tell you how doing the diet for less than 3 weeks would fare for you- Dr. Simeons felt that it would not work well and he may be totally right about that. We won’t know for sure unless a lot of people start experimenting with that (hint hint – if you decide to do that, please email me and let me know the results!)
Everyone’s brains and minds work differently, but I even found it worked well to not commit myself to a certain length of time beyond 3 weeks. My final round I planned on it being a short 3 weeker, but I was feeling so good that at the end of the three weeks, I decided to add on another week, and I just kept doing that each week that I felt like I could handle a few more days until I ended up completing a full 6 week round. This worked well for me. For others, committing themselves to a 6 week period beforehand may be better if they feel they will be too likely to just kind of quit otherwise.
Biggest thing to keep in mind when choosing the length of time to do a round of hCG:
Choose a time in your life that will have the least stress, the least family/social functions- when you can lay the most low. I can’t say this enough. You will thank me by day 5 for this advice.
Why At least 3 weeks?
In plain people speak, Dr. Simeons noticed in his studies that people regained the weight they lost if they didn’t do the diet at least 3 weeks- remember, this protocol is actually considered a hormone healing protocol if used properly and the aim is not only to lose weight, but to actually change and reset how your hypothalamus/metabolism operates in your body – Dr. S felt that this seemed to take at least 3 weeks.
In Dr. Simeon’s Words:
Under the topic, “the Duration of Treatment,” starting at page 51 in his manuscript is the following:
“Patients who need to lose 15 pounds (7 kg) or less require 26 days of treatments with 23 daily injections.” p.51, par. 2
“We never give a treatment lasting less than 26 days, even in patients needing to lose only 5 pounds. It seems that even in the mildest cases of obesity the diencephalon requires about three weeks rest from the maximal exertion to which it has been previously subjected in order to regain fully its normal fat banking capacity. Clinically this expresses itself in the fact that when in these mild cases treatment is stopped as soon as the weight is normal, which may be achieved in a week, it is much more easily regained than after a full course of 23 injections.” – p.51, par. 3
If you reach your goal weight before the 3 weeks is up, he instructed patients to increase their calories to 800-1000 or so and maintain the current loss till the end of the 3 weeks, THEN move on the no starches no sugars phase.
Rounds Less Than 3 Weeks
If you decide to try a round for less than 3 weeks, it would have to be an experiment, and I’d love to hear from you if you do! I’m always interested in hearing how experiments turn out – that’s how we learn new things right?
Why did Dr. Simeons say not to go beyond 40 injections?
He described what he called immunity to hCG setting in. For some odd reason, neither I, nor other hCG coaches like Robin Woodall, have ever seen hCG immunity actually happen.
Dr. S characterized immunity as suddenly becoming ravenously hungry on hCG, when you were feeling fine before. Most hunger on hCG is a correctable dose issue, and many people do rounds longer than 40 days, or don’t skip a shot once a week as he said doing so could delay the immunity, and still we haven’t seen this sudden raging hunger come on at the end of a round.
He did mention it didn’t happen to everyone, so it looks like it was a precautionary measure across the board since he couldn’t know in advance who would become immune and who wouldn’t, but I’m just saying, today anyways, for some reason, it doesn’t seem to really happen.
Here is what he said in his manuscript on this subject under the subheading “Immunity to hCG”:
“The reason for limiting a course to 40 injections is that by then some patients may begin to show signs of HCG immunity.”
“In those comparatively rare cases in which signs of immunity develop before the full course of 40 injections has been completed- say at the 35th injection- treatment must be stopped at once.”
“In those that take 40 injections the onset of immunity can be delayed if they are given only six injections a week, leaving out Sundays or any other day they choose, provided that it is always the same day.
My Own Little Input on the Immunity Idea
To be honest, there have been a lot of people now to do hCG longer than 40 injections worth and I don’t know that I’ve seen any true symptoms of immunity going on – so I’m not sure how real that is. I still think there are other very valid reasons for limiting the length of time you are on hCG at any given time though. I asked Robin Woodall, the author of weight loss apocalypse, who has coached thousands of people through the hCG protocol personally, and she agreed she hasn’t seen immunity actually happen.
So You’re Saying I Can Do More Than 40 Injections Then? Yippee!!!
Not so fast partner!
Since Simeon’s time, people have experimented, and occasionally a person does okay staying on the diet beyond 6 weeks, but there are some major cautions here, so please see my 2 articles related to this:
Why Taking Your hCG At a Normal/Slower Pace May Be Wise
When Can You Start Your Next Round of hCG?
Essentially it’s not that you CAN’T or you’ll die- some do extend their rounds of hCG a bit. The main thing though is that I feel you want to be balanced in how long you do this diet at a time because if you push the envelope, I feel adrenal fatigue could develop. Adrenals are often doing more during any diet, and cortisol can be raised- if this goes on too long, it can weaken your adrenals which produces more than one problem – it causes horrible fatigue – the kind that makes you wonder how you can continue working and caring for the family; it can really take a long time to heal, and it can make maintaining weight loss not work well.
And I know some of us may kind of read over this nonchalantly and kind of go on our merry way of trying to do 60 days on the diet anyway- some of us have to learn the hard way right? Totally me- been there, done that, and probably STILL doing that, but PLEASE you guys, I’m telling you, this is not something to take lightly. It’s SO much easier to stabilize weight, to maintain weight, and to feel happy and well when you are MAINTAINING your health rather than trying to get it back. Getting it back can be a LONG and painful road.
Sometimes we may see a person doing a really long round, or taking really short breaks, and they are fine at the moment. and so we might think to ourselves, “Hey, it’s working for them! I might as well try it”. What we don’t know though is how they’ll be doing and feeling in 2 or 3 more months. So be careful with taking the protocol to extremes. It can always work for awhile – but there can be a residue of chronic health issues that can develop from it.
Granted, if you’re needing the hCG protocol it’s likely that your health isn’t the best to begin with, but adrenal fatigue and thyroid issues are no joke- it’s not so easily fixed once it’s screwed up and you can keep these systems functioning well if you try to stick within the confines of the original time limits for the diet.
Buying hCG Online: # of Days for the Various “hCG Kits”
One thing that can be confusing is that each online hCG company has their own “kits” with the # of vials, and they vary from each other by several days.
For the shorter 3-4-weeks-ish round kits pick 1 5000iu vials and for the longer 6-weeks-ish round kits 2 5000iu vials
How is that? Is that misleading? No, it isn’t actually. Let me explain.
The thing is, the dosage of hCG that’s best for you will vary from person to person – each clinic tends to prescribe one set dose of hCG to their patients, but I have found that the dose you feel the least hunger on is unique, and can even change during a round.
So the amount of hCG you take each day is what affects how long your vial of hCG lasts.
If you take a high 200iu dose of hCG (which is uncommon for what actually feels best for hunger) one 5000iu vial will last you 25 days worth of injections (5000/200). If you take a dose of 125iu which works for many, your vial would actually last you 40 days (5000/125). HOWEVER, typically the potency of hCG drops off enough that by the 3rd or 4th week you want to no longer use that vial and either finish your round, or mix a fresh batch of hCG from a new vial.
So essentially what I’m saying, is any kits containing 1 5,000iu or 6,000iu, you can expect them all to last you anywhere from 3-4 weeks, depending on which dose ends up working for you best.
This really isn’t something that you can decide beforehand. I do get emails all the time saying what dose should they take so their hCG lasts such and such number of days. You do not want to take hCG this way. Find the dose that allows you the least hunger, regardless of how long it will make the vial last. That should be your priority here.
Choosing hCG Dose Based on Hunger vs. Number of Days You Want It to Last
This really isn’t something that you can decide beforehand. I do get emails all the time saying what dose should they take so their hCG lasts such and such number of days. You do not want to take hCG this way. Find the dose that allows you the least hunger, regardless of how long it will make the vial last. That should be your priority here.
Well, I hope this helps you decide what you want to do! As always, it was a mouthful. But I’m the kind of person who wants detail so I can make an informed decision, so that’s why I provide it to you guys.
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Hi! Is it necessary to skip 1 injection a week? The local clinic I am going to for HCG just told to take 40 shots for 40 days and then 3 days of continuing 500cal after my last injection. They did not mention having to skip 1injection a week…. is it recommended to do that for optimal weight loss?
Hi AJ,
This might help: https://hcgchicahelphub.com/forgot-to-skip-my-hcg-injection-drops-dose-1-day-of-the-week-is-that-bad/
I don’t see the answer directly noted above. How much time in between rounds should you take. 3 or 6 weeks!
Hi Janet,
Answer to your question is here: http://hcgchica.com/when-can-you-start-next-round-hcg-diet/
Hope that helps!
Hi i have a question
I almost done I have 7 days left from 23 injections. I still have some more hcg left , can I keep going maybe one more week or two ? I do 125iu a day .
Hi there!
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 🙂
Yes, you can continue for a week more. Mixed hCG can only last for 4 weeks so it’ll be not effective/potent after that.
I have enough HCG injections for a 40 day cycle. I am going on a trip and can either stop at 23 days or I can continue on to 30 days. If I go the full 40 I have to travel with needles and the HCG which I dont want to do. I cant find a lot of info on a 30 day injection program but I would imagine my schedule is 29 days of injections, 3 days of 500 calorie and then move into the next phase with no sugar and starch. Does this seem correct to you? Is there any resource that maps out 30 days? Also, I love the recipes – I paid for they and love them! Great resource.
Hiya!
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 🙂
You can do a 30 day round if you want to. The minimum is 3 weeks and max is 6 weeks, you can stop in between those times.
Hope that helps!
So I am waiting for my kit to arrive, but have a few questions regarding skip days. I wasn’t aware of them, I just thought we took injections daily. Are we supposed to skip one shot a week, and skip during mestruation? Thanks in advance!
Hi Carmela,
Rayzel has a short articles about that here: https://hcgchicahelphub.com/forgot-to-skip-my-hcg-injection-drops-dose-1-day-of-the-week-is-that-bad/
https://hcgchicahelphub.com/how-to-go-about-hcg-shots-drops-while-on-my-period/
Thanks for the information. I bought my pre-filled injections at a clinic and the offer was for 21 injections (3 weeks). Now I’m reading that I should not do less than 23. I don’t want to buy another 21 injections just to use 2, because I plan to continue to P3, then wait 3 more weeks and start another round. Do you think I’ll have issues if I finish after the 21 injections? I started a week before with drops that are hormone free. Then I went to this clinic and bought the pharmacy grade hcg. So basically, counting skipped days (one a week) and two skipped days during TOM, I’ll be on VLCD26 the day of my 21 injection. Should I try to buy two more?? I think it will be expensive.
Hiya!
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 😉
You’re right it’s not practical to buy another batch if you’re only doing a short round so your plan sounds okay. You’ll be fine. 🙂
Hi there,
I am on day 13 of the hcg diet. So far I feel great and can actually see a difference in my body. I ultimately want to lose 35 pounds on this round and another 30 at another time.
I will be going on an 8 day cruise in exactly one month from today.
My question is, can i start another round after returning from the 8 day trip?
My current round will last 40 days.
I don’t want to wait too long and possibly pack on the pounds i lost from the first round.
I am highly disappointed. My Dr has changed the the protocol. He has added 3 tbs Coconut oil and 1/2 avocado a day. 30 days in and my loss is at 9 lbs. I am nowhere near where I wanted to do P3 at for this first round. I am on 50 days and this is my last 14 days. I am taking it on myself to start with original protcol today to the end and maybe try and stretch it 60 days to be somewhere bearable to stay at for 3 weeks 🙁 What are your thoughts on this Dr I am seeing changing it this way ? He said they have amazing results but not for me a 52 year old.
Hi Christine,
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 🙂
That seems like a lot of coconut oil, 3tbsp of coconut oil is 360calories. I heard some hCGers consume coconut oil on P2 but 1tbsp is usually the max per day.
I am going through a local weight loss company for the HCG. They recommend .3 or .4 on the syringe. They gave me 30 prefilled syringes at .4 (I have 77# to lose). During day one of the load, I felt fine until after dinner. Then I felt VERY uncomfortably full, a gurgly stomach followed by MANY trips to the bathroom. NO NAUSEA. My daughter also came home sick yesterday but only nausea not bathroom visits if you know what I mean. This morning, I did my shot and realized maybe my lower GI tract still feels a little off. I just ate some breakfast and tolerated it fine – I guess I am trying to figure out if these side effects are due to “day 1” or due to “whats going around”. I also worry about how much I am taking because it sounds like atleast 2x more than HCG-CHICA recommends. Whats the risk of too much HCG.
Hiya!
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 🙂
We’re not sure of how the hCG was mixed because it is prefilled but you can try asking the clinic you got it from. It might have been mixed 2:1 and if that’s the case then .3-.4 on the syringe is 150iu-200iu. You can still adjust your dose even if you don’t know how it’s mixed, here’s Rayzel’s answer on that: https://hcgchicahelphub.com/doctor-gave-me-hcg-prefilled-syringes-how-to-know-real/
Re the stomach issue: https://hcgchicahelphub.com/help-for-diarrhea-on-hcg-diet/
Hope that helps!
Hi! I’m so glad I found this site! I’ve done a few rounds of HCG and I find this information to be accurate. For the 40-day round, have you heard of anyone going three consecutive days without injections and then resuming for the last days instead of skipping one injection each week for the last weeks?
Thanks,
Kim
Hi Kim,
This is Lucelle, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! 🙂
I haven’t heard of anyone doing it that way. The concern with this is you will feel a lot hungrier when you don’t have the hCG in your system and the hCG will be completely out of your system in 72 hours from your last dose. So you will definitely feel hungry on the VLCD.
I hope that helps!
Lucelle
I am 51, very active, exercise 3-4 times a week, absolutely healthy; still gained 80 lbs in 20 years.
Your explanations are so accurate and easy to read, thank you for making this post!
I started 2 weeks ago and I have lost the promised 1 lb a day. I am extremely happy with the program, had to cut down in exercise but feel great. My biggest concern is after the 40 days, after the maintenance. what miracle is going to happen that will allow me to have the same discipline as I am exercising now???? And, how is my body not going to gain 1 lb after a dinner with lasagna and wine?
Rebeca
Hi Rebecca,
This is Li-an, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you! I have to be honest that while hCG helps you lose weight in a very quick manner, it is not a magic pill that will stop your body to gain weight/fat when you get back to your old eating habits 🙁 Just like with any other diet, you would need to have discipline to maintain your weight loss by sticking to better WOE (way of eating). I would like to share this video Rayzel did here: http://hcgchica.com/hcg-diet-prep-reason-3-can-fail-succeed/ that I think can help you somehow.
Good luck!
Hello HCG CHICA
I have questions for you. I have 55 pounds to lose I’m 55 years old in menapause and take several meds. I just ordered the 1st round is 23 days. I know I’ll need several rounds how long do I wait before I purchase the second round and do I do phase 3 between?
Hi Mary,
This is Li-an, Rayzel’s assistant. Nice to meet you!
This blog post discusses it, including the length of P3 that you need to do in between: http://hcgchica.com/when-can-you-start-next-round-hcg-diet/
Hope that helps!
So I was wondering if you would be able to answer this question for me. I am on Round 1, phase 2, day 44. I have lost a total of 38 pounds . The only difference is my HCG I’m doing is the drops and they are also the hormone free kind. I read a lot about it before I did it and decided to try the hormone free first even though it’s not technically the HCG hormone . Needless to say they have worked amazing for me and I’m wondering since they’re not injections and they are hormone free if I can just stay on phase 2 and keep going to lose another 35 pounds? It has slowed down a bit , the instructions with my drops say to do 23 up to 43 days and then move onto phase three and four . I guess I just was hoping to stay on phase 2 until I was completely done losing ,
any suggestions ?
Hi Jaclyn,
Honestly, you can actually lose with or without the hCG and that’s what happened to you. hCG doesn’t cause you to lose weight, which is a commonly misunderstood thing. Your own body loses weight as a result of the 500 calorie diet. Even with NO hCG a person whose body is in correct operating condition should lose the same amount of weight. What hCG’s role is in the diet is to curb hunger and preserve muscle mass so that you are losing fat and not muscle. Not so sure though how the hormone-free hCG works when it comes to preserving muscle.
Also, I am not so sure with the hormone-free, but there are ladies who did extended rounds with the injections and their results are fantastic!
Good luck!
Hey so I’m 21 years old and I stand at 5’6 inches and have about 45 lbs to lose as I’m 155-58 .. i have exactly 2 months to lose the weight so I was wondering how many vials should I get ? Also in my country the hcg comes as IVF-C shots so is that okay ?
Hi Michelle,
This is Cristel, Rayzel`s assistant. Nice to meet you. 🙂
Rayzel has a blog post that can help you decide how long to do the diet here: http://hcgchica.com/proper-length-time-hcg-diet-rounds/
And here’s a guide on how to buy hCG: http://hcgchica.com/buying-guide-hcg-diet/
Hope that helps!
Cristel
Hi Chica.. I may be abnormal, but I wanted to let you know that developing an immunity is real. It happens to me. I lost 125 lbs on hcg in just over a year.. I had no trouble with immunity during that time, but I have used hcg intermittently to take off added weight. As time goes on the hcg is less and less effective.. my face becomes emaciated and gaunt. I get very hungry. At first it was at the end of a 40 day round.. but now it happens earlier, even before the three weeks are up. Used hcg sparingly and try not to gain between rounds.. once the weight is off keep it off.. hcg could begin to be less effective. I hope this helps someone. I wish I had tried harder not to gain any weight back once it was lost.
Hey Debra,
Thank you very much for sharing your personal experience. This is definitely one of those things that I haven’t been able to hear much feedback on, so it’s much appreciated, and it’s true that some have similar things to say as you. It’s a good incentive to take the protocol seriously if that can happen right? If you know the ability to use it is limited, like you said, that could help. Thank you very much for sharing once again, I do appreciate it and I DO think it will help those who read this. – Rayzel
Thank you so much for your YouTube videos.. they have helped me so much.. especially the one about finding the right dosage. Wow what a difference that made!!
Please keep posting!!
Thanks again,
Debra
Hello,
I was wondering if it’s possible to do a 30 day round? I just need a little more off but don’t feel like I would need to go as long as 40 days.
Hi Pam!
Yes, other’s do that too.
My Dr. Only offers injections 5 days a week, will the program work?
You can do the injections yourself if you are comfortable with it on the days your doctor is not available. I have always done the injections myself, they are quick and painless. Once you go to your doctor once or twice, you will know how to do it on your own.
Hi I am on my first real day of the diet after the two day load. I’m 5″7 and after loading at 136.7. Most of my life I have always weighed 118-122 until I moved. Slowly over the course of 3 years I have really added quite a bit. I am determined to get back into my jeans and most of my wardrobe that does not fit. I will keep you posted through my journey and wanted to thank you for this site. I have been a frequent visitor the past 2 weeks mentally preparing.
Best,
Kimberly
Awesome Kimberly! I hope it goes well. This protocol really is amazing.
I started the HCG diet and was only able to do 2 weeks of injections due to a family emergency and having to travel. Long story short, I forgot my injections at home. Do I need to wait a certain period of time to start back up?
Hi Kay,
You can still continue, this may be considered an interruption. Any interruption less than 14 days, no need to load again. Rayzel has a post that can help you here:
http://hcgchica.com/interruptions-on-the-hcg-diet-how-to-take-a-short-break-during-an-hcg-round/
-Lucelle
Is the pellets that disolve under the tongue just as good as rthe shots
I haven’t found them to be at all. The injections are the best because you do them once a day, and you forget about it. The oral ones, you have to do several times a day, keep them with you, and have to keep them refrigerated, etc. It’s just too much of a hassle if you’re not at home all day everyday. I also find better overall results with the injections than the drops.
Aloha, I have been on HCG for 5 weeks and I am stalled out 🙁 my weight has been holding for a week and a half, could this be because I’m not drinking enough water? I struggle with water, I know silly. I’ve done the apple day and a steak day didn’t budge…..
Hi @Sunshine – water does appear to be pretty important aspect of weight loss – how about your sleeping? Are you sleeping enough at night? That’s another big part of it. – Rayzel
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I sleep very good and usually 7 or 8 hours and my eating has been spot on. So I will just embrace it all and remember tomorrow is a new day and I can always do better. Thanks for sharing.
I have heard of the hcg diet from a friend who lost 40 lbs in 6 weeks and since I need to lose 60lbs -at least this is my goal- and I’ve tried EVERYTHING out there, am looking forward to receiving my kit, which should be arriving within days….
My question though, is this: am I to go on an eating binge for two days before I start the injections? or am I to use the injections and eat heavily for the first two days?….am a bit confused here….and, do the injections come with detailed instructions?
In any case, I would like to thank you for your recommendations,,help, hints, tapes, etc….
thanks
I just want to say regarding “plateaus”… Learn to love them! Everyone goes on about the scales, but you need to measure, and do yourself a favour and take loads! I do upper arms, chest, under breasts (back fat) waist, navel, thighs, knees (ugh!) and calves. It’s mentioned in the book too. Toxins are stored in your fat cells, and often a stall is your body holding onto water to get rid of them. Unless you’re doing something wrong, that stall gets followed by a weight drop, and best of all, an inch drop! I actually started looking forward to them coz that would be when I woke up the next day to see my bum magically smaller.
I have some questions I’ve been on the protocol 3 weeks and had a plateau for three days I did an apple day and didn’t drop my pharmacist whose also my coach on the hcg said I had protein aversion? Has any one had this before ? He had me eat one whole egg and three egg whites and I dropped my pound the next day . I just don’t understand what happened and hope it doesn’t happen again .pre load weight was 143 loading 145 im at 131.4 as of this morning and still have three weeks to go . I’m already exhausted.
Hi @PinkPiratePixie – I’m not familiar with protein aversion, I’ll have to look that one up, but as far as plateau, I can tell you they WILL happen again, so better to just expect it now. It’s a very normal part of the process. I’ve stalled for up to a week at times. It’s not always preventable. Your body goes at it’s own pace, and you have to remember you sometimes have big loss days that compensate for no loss days. In reality, most women can probably only burn about a half pound of fat in a day at most (remember there’s about 3500 calories in a pound of fat and you need to consider how many calories you burn in a day- no where near 3500 most likely). So it all evens out in this way with no loss, bigger loss, etc. I hope that helps. Just keeping it real for you because I don’t want you to get discouraged over what is a perfectly normal happening. Especially at your current weight, it sounds like you are close to a goal weight- maybe 10-20 lbs left to lose correct? In this case as well, weight loss will be slower because likely your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is not all that high. But the main point is, stick to it, and you WILL get to your goal- it just might take you a little longer than you initially had thought. Stay strong! – Rayzel
Found your site this morning & very curious if you have anyone who’s shared their experience regarding “experimenting” with shorter phase 2? I have less to loose than in the past & would love to not have to do the full 23 days again (third time around), BUT I sure don’t want to not properly regulate my hypothalmus! Can you share any results you’ve received? I’m not a gambler by nature! 😉
Hey @kjf I actually have a video I haven’t finished editing about this topic, but basically all I say lol is that I haven’t had feedback from anyone doing this yet to know how it pans out – many people ask, but not too many experiment with the idea I guess. I am curious about this myself. Dr. S felt regain would be a lot easier if the protocol was done less than 3 weeks, but it’s always nice to test theories out. Sorry I don’t have more info. If you decide to proceed, please let me know your feedback on it! – Rayzel
I did a 7 day round. 2 load days. 7 vlcd days with drops, 3 more without. I lost 7 lbs and kept it off until my current round 3 months later. I did go on a few vacations where I GORGED, gained a few lbs, but they came off once I returned home back to healthy eating.
Thanks for your sharing your experience with this Mo! Really appreciate it. Helps knowing how things go for people trying different things.
I’ve done a 14 day round. I lost 15 lbs but gained 9 back in 6 weeks. The first time I did it I was on the protocol longer and gained almost nothing back for over a year and a half. I think shorter rounds are generally a bad idea because you don’t give your body time to adjust to the weight it’s lost let alone reset your hypothalamus. The real dramatic stuff starts happening right around the second week. That was when people seemed to really start noticing and saying stuff. I would go longer if you can.
Thanks for sharing your insights about the 14 day round @Laurel Littleton – I have many people ask me about doing the diet less than 3 weeks and have yet to get any concrete feedback from people actually trying it- may I actually use your comments in a blogpost that I’ll be writing on this topic? let me know if you can! Also, if you can give me any more detail about the experience, that would be great as well! Feel free to email me privately about it [email protected] – Rayzel
Do you ever get off HCG….or is this something you will continue to take. It sounds like from the readings that this is something you don’t just do once and bam your forever good??
Hi @Joanna N Edwin Copeland this diet is meant to be done in short spurts where you get one chunk of weight off at a time. If you only have 20-30lbs to lose, you may only need to do it once! But many women doing this diet have 100+ lbs to lose – so that means they do multiple rounds with breaks between, losing 20-30lbs at a time. You do NOT have to continue to do hCG long term- in fact you really can’t, it wouldn’t be healthy. I have been maintaining the weight loss I achieved with hCG for over 2 years now – no hCG used during that time! I hope that clarifies things for you. 🙂 I have a post you may find helpful explaining the process a little more: http://hcgchica.com/how-quick-is-hcg-weightloss/ I hope that helps!
I have Just started my second round of hug diet, but I’m using the drops. I’m on day 3 of p2 and I’m scared of the hair loss I had on my first round no also the loose skin. Any suggestions on both of my concerns. Is there my way to prevent the hair loss? Can I take alive vitamins while on the diet or biotin?
Also, I was doing good following diet Exactly. Not eating more than 500 calories, but actually gained a pound. what could have caused that?
Gains are very common here and there, if that’s what you mean? Overall you are losing weight? A 1-2 lb gain overnight can easily be caused by simply 1 bowl of salty soup- I’ve had that happen before! If you have more details for me- how much you’ve lost so far, etc. what happened before the gain, etc., how much weight you lost in the 2-3 days prior to the gain, I might be able to offer more help. – Rayzel
so just to clarify…even if I bought the 56 day from ushcg I should take no more than 40 injections?
Hey @Staci Savage – it’s not that you can’t- this part of the above article probably sums it up best in answer: “Essentially it’s not that you CAN’T or you’ll die- some do extend their rounds of hCG a bit. The main thing though is that I feel you want to be balanced in how long you do this diet for at a time because if you push the envelope, I feel adrenal fatigue could develop. ” – I hope that helps. Some do extend with success- it’s just you really need to read your own body cues to know when your body is telling you it’s time for a break- for some this might be after 3 weeks, for some this may not be for 7 weeks, etc. I hope that helps a little! – Rayzel