Just venting.... (long)

megsybk

So, I work with a bunch of attorneys and a couple of them started taking HCG and following that diet. They have been very successful using it so I thought, great! I'll buy it on amazon, lose a ton of weight super quickly, bada boom, bada bing, I'm skinny! (Or at least down to the weight I was before I met my wonderful boyfriend). I got it in the mail and started taking it... along with taking 10 drops, 3x a day, you have to eat a strict, 500 calorie, no carb no sugar diet. The first 2 days I was absolutely miserable. I decided after those 2 days that I was just going to eat healthy, stick to about 1000 calories (500 calories on a girl who is 6'4 is RIDICULOUS!) and I'll be successful.

My boyfriend and I got into it last Monday because he didn't think that I should stray from the HCG prescribed diet (then he proceeded to tell me that he thought knowing how much I weigh... like the actual #, would change his opinion of me! we were in a tiff the entire week!) So the end of our argument resulted in the both of us just agreeing that we wanted to both (for ourselves individually and ourselves in our relationship) to be healthy. At 25 and 29, we should not be this overwight and unhealthy! So I decided for myself that the HCG was ridiculous... $100 worth of ridiculous to boot! And that I just needed to start eating more healthy. The weight will come off in a healthy manner of time and I will be more grateful for it in the end... so that's what I decided for myself. I'm still taking the HCG drops but over the past 3 or 4 days, haven't seen the dramatic results like I saw last week... (within 2 days of taking it and being on the 500 cal diet, I dropped 8 lbs, on top of the 6 that I lost on my own before I started it). Honestly, that is what I needed anyway to get that extra push of motivation to start this journey again.

So here is part of what frustrates me... obviously because I'm not sticking to the 500 cal diet, it's not working (and I'm not cutting out carbs or sugar either) so I want to stop taking it because I don't want to continue putting this substance in my body if it is not yielding results. Last night, my boyfriend asked if I was still taking it and I mentioned that I thought I was going to stop taking it because I didn't think it was working and he seemed disappointed in me.... like he thinks i'm quitting or something! He is the type of person who believes in follow-through 100%, and I agree with him, follow-through is good, but obviously the drops aren't working, and I'm not quitting the healthy eating, just quitting putting this substance into by body.

UGH! I love my boyfriend SO much (yes, even after the comment he made last week... we've discussed in detail and all is well between us again) but I hate feeling like I'm disappointing him. I am 100% guilty of quitting a "weight loss journey" a week or 2 into it... really, it should be my profession! But I'm not quitting this!

kristen6022

My only advice is to stick to something you can stick to long term. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. Because if you don't change what put the weight on, you'll gain it back and more. HCG is a quick fix. As soon as you start eating "normally" you'll gain it all back. No matter how long it takes (took me about 1 & 1/2 years to get off 35 for good), you'll be better in the long run. Which is what we are all here for, the long run.

RoboLikes

Ask him to read some of the HCG diet threads on this site and he might change his opinion.

Also, a 500 calorie a day diet is ridiculous for someone who is 6'4, but 1000 cals a day seems pretty low still.

If you eat right and exercise, it'll be a change you can live with for life. Taking hundred dollar liqued drops isnt something that can be sustained.

beccyleigh

I don't really understand the hype around HCG, just eating 500 cals a day will result in weight loss for a time so why not just save your money. That said, for your height & weight your basic bodily functions like liver, heart etc needs at minimum 1500 cals a day. My 4ft tall 4 year old son needs that same amount to maintain. think about that for a minute, he is 4 years old & weighs 22 kilos.

By eating at such a massive deficit yes you will lose weight for a while, probably quite a while at your current weight but you will be causing some major damage to your metabolism so that when the weight loss stops (as it will) you will really struggle to get it back on track.

I lost alot of weight eating low calorie, virtually zero nutrient value foods & now am going through a phase of very slow weight loss whilst trying to eat at a reasonable deficit as well as trying to repair my metabolism so I will advise you to eat higher calorie now & lose at a slower but safer rate as you will have a greater chance of 1) losing at a consistent & safe rate 2) keeping it off forever ) avoiding binge eating & giving up due to extreme hunger & feelings of deprivation 4) giving your body, skin in particular a chance to shrink back (another thing I have to deal with)

Ultimately you should be doing this for yourself, your weightloss is not your bf's choice & how he chooses to do it is not yours. Only you can make the changes needed so do what you feel happy with, adapt & change when needed & let your bf know that what might work for him wont necessarily work for you.

kelzpop

My husband did an HCG diet through a clinic near us a few years ago. He ate way more than 500 calories a day, I know that for a fact. He did lose 50 lbs or so over a span of maybe 6 months, but over time has put it back on (I'm sure with a little help from my cooking). He didn't cut out all carbs and sugar, but he did pay more attention to his proteins and intake of things. He also took shots and pills, not drops.

I would say there is no way you should be eating 500 calories a day every day, you need more than that to maintain your health. I also don't think you can judge whether it is working on a couple weeks, especially if you are fluctuating the plan (and I don't condone the plan at all). But your body needs a little time to adjust. And my husband had to have constant check-ups while on it, to make sure it wasn't killing his heart and other organs.

I wouldn't advocate for the HCG diet, but ultimately it is up to you. And sometimes I actually believe my mom when she says "what they don't know won't hurt them" (and I don't live by that philosophy with my husband at all).

megsybk

I guess the reason I think they aren't working is because I started taking them on Friday, March 23rd and on the following Monday, I lost 3 lbs, the next day I lost another 3 lbs and by Wednesday I had lost another 2 lbs. Since last Wednesday, I've gone up 1.1 pound and then went back down .4 lbs, but that is the only activity since last Wednesday.

I feel like the HCG did what I needed it to do.... it gave me a jump start. I was initially at 353, down to 347 over the last 3 months on my own, and then down another 7.7 since starting the HCG. I just want to be healthy, and I don't think that HCG is going to help me achieve that.

I talked with dbf tonight and he understood what my position was; apparently he wasnt listening last night and thought I was quitting altogether... I think i'm going to just stick with mfp and counting my calories and if I get stuck in a plateau, then maybe I'll break out the HCG to help me get over that hump.... we will see.

Thanks for all the feedback!

kelliwiatrek

That is great that you want to lose weight and be healthier. I was the same way, I was the biggest I have ever been in June '11 and wasn't able to keep up with my son who was 1 1/2 at the time. I wanted and needed a change. I didn't want to do any weight lose pills or yoyo diets. I wanted to do it the right way. I just started watching what I was eating. Cut back a lot on sweets and starches. I used to drink sweet tea all day long (when I woke up in the morining until I went to bed at night.) Now I may have 1 glass at lunch and that is it. My SW was 235 and my CW is 180. I am very proud of myself because I stuck with it for once. It is very hard especially when you're so used to the way you eat before but I is so worth it in the long run. People ask me how I lost weight and I tell I eat right and exercise. Their response "Oh." They are expecting me to say I am taking a special pill or on special diet. NO, I DID IT ON MY OWN THE RIGHT WAY!!!! It is a great feeling to say that.

As for you and your boyfriend it is up to you how you lose weight. Not him!!! Althought you may love him, he needs to except your choices. That is great that you have worked things out.

You really need to consume at least 1200 cal/day. You will lose weight with less calories but then your body will stop losing weight because it isn't getting the right amount it needs and it will begin to store as much body fat as it can. When you first lose weight it is mostly water weight and then you begin the lose body fat. I lost 7 lbs the first week and 6 lbs the next, after that it was maybe 1-2 lbs per week.

I did have slump in Jan. '12 and gained 5 lbs but I am now back on track and trying harder. I set goals and rewards for myself. If I lost 20 lbs I got to buy more workout clothes. 30 lbs a good new pair of tennis shoes (not the cheap ones from Academy), 40 lbs I bought new clothes and jewelry and 50 lbs my husband has to do something nice for me. (Which we have not done yet, maybe around my birthday in June)

All I can say is keep up the good work and I am happy that you want to get healthier. If you need to vent about others things or need some support go ahead and friend me. I know I can always use some support.


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