Jericho's HCG Diet Log!
- Thread starter Jericho22
- Start date
lolJericho22
New member
Thanks bro!
The lack of any physical hunger makes it pretty easy to handle the cravings as long as you're in the right state of mind. After nibbling on a small plate I really just didn't want any more food because I wasn't hungry.
Jericho22
New member
I'm hoping to get down to 175 by the end of this cycle. After that I'll probably try to drop another 5-10 lbs with healthy diet and exercise. A lot of people use multiple cycles of HCG to try to drop weight but I have no intention of doing more than one. Most of those people that run it multiple times have a lot more weight to lose than I did, though.
Beast is right that healthy diet and exercise is probably the best way to lose weight, and it's definitely the best way to keep the weight off. I'm hoping to use the HCG cycle as a launching point into a healthier style of weight loss.
If you're seriously considering the HCG diet I can't say right now that I'm in favor of it or that I'm against it, but I would recommend that you do as much research as you can on the subject and decide if you think it's right for you. Take my log for what it's worth, one anecdotal story that (so far) is having good results.
Jericho22
New member
Pika, no offense but the things you're asking about are sort of general aspects of weight loss/fitness and not really what the conversation in this thread is about. You would probably find a lot more helpful information by using the search function and doing a little research.
Jericho22
New member
Almost forgot to post my weigh-in...
Day 13
180.8 lbs (+0.2, -9.4 total)
Basically no change this morning. I'll take that as a trade-off for going over on cals yesterday.
Realized today that I can fit an entire day's worth of food in my lunch box lol. Makes it really easy to plan my meals on the go so at least I have no excuse to not follow the plan.
Only 10 days to go!
Day 13
180.8 lbs (+0.2, -9.4 total)
Basically no change this morning. I'll take that as a trade-off for going over on cals yesterday.
Realized today that I can fit an entire day's worth of food in my lunch box lol. Makes it really easy to plan my meals on the go so at least I have no excuse to not follow the plan.
Only 10 days to go!
MidwestBeast
Legend
That was one nice thing when going to work - SO easy to handle the food. Not to mention, your grocery bill for a while is dirt cheap lol. If it gets some more research and proves to continue being effective, it's honestly one of the cheapest ways to cut weight out there. Again, I would NOT recommend this as an early resort, though.
10 more days! You got this, bud!
EasyEJL
Never enough
of course, the physical hunger drops after 3-4 days on any diet, and the coffee for breakfast tends to curb hunger, and having a full tomato and apple also gives a lot of fill factor for very little calories....
My wife is down somewhere just about 3lbs now today being day 4
bayboi
New member
ok you said bodybuilders use it also? but bodybuilders eat alot do they drop down to the 500 calorie a day diet also ??
Jericho22
New member
No joke dude, my grocery bills were getting to be ridiculous. Even on a short cycle I'm saving more on groceries than the $75 it cost for the HCG + supplies.
Jericho22
New member
Day 14
179.2 lbs (-1.6, -11.0 total)
Feeling great today! I haven't been in the 170's in over 6 months.
It's hard to see gradual progress in the mirror but I definitely feel like I'm starting to look leaner. My chest and stomach are definitely still "soft" but I feel like they're not quite as bulky.
Just measured myself after I typed that. Measuring myself is awkward but here's what I came up with, allowing for some room for error:
Neck: 0.5" smaller
Chest: 1.5"-2" smaller (don't forget this is one of my problem areas for fat so smaller=better)
Waist: 1"-1.5" smaller
Biceps: No change
Some of that could be due to water bloating but still, not bad for 2 weeks.
179.2 lbs (-1.6, -11.0 total)
Feeling great today! I haven't been in the 170's in over 6 months.
It's hard to see gradual progress in the mirror but I definitely feel like I'm starting to look leaner. My chest and stomach are definitely still "soft" but I feel like they're not quite as bulky.
Just measured myself after I typed that. Measuring myself is awkward but here's what I came up with, allowing for some room for error:
Neck: 0.5" smaller
Chest: 1.5"-2" smaller (don't forget this is one of my problem areas for fat so smaller=better)
Waist: 1"-1.5" smaller
Biceps: No change
Some of that could be due to water bloating but still, not bad for 2 weeks.
MidwestBeast
Legend
Yes. The 500 calories/day is universal. I know someone who has ran tren alongside this diet just to be safe. I would think running an anabolic or even a SARM (being anabolic in nature) could be used to ensure you're not losing any muscle; but then again, I think moderately dosed BCAAs could, as well.
From what I've read/seen, people don't lose any strength when lifting throughout, so in theory, if there is any muscle loss, it's minimal (I set a PR on deadlifts like 6 days in when I attempted this lol).
Haha, I know, man. Dirt cheap. It's a shame to see what some of these clinics charge people when the supplies are so cheap. Consultation is only worth so much...
That's great, man! Keep up the great work!
conan1071
Member
Hi and great work you are doing on this diet.
I would like to add my experience after completing 2 rounds of 43 days each of Dr. Simeons protocol( See link below)
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The first round I pigged out the first two days with starting the HCG injections and gained about 10-12 pounds. The first few days, actually week, of the 500 calories were brutal. I was tired and asleep by 8pm. Second week and beyond I wasnt so tired however it was tough to follow the exact diet. Half grapefruit for breakfast, 100 grams boneless and skinless chicken breast with spinach and tomatoes for lunch and dinner and thats all. I did drink a ton of water and green tea. I did lift and some cardio. I was losing almost a pound a day and at the end of the 43 days, has lost 38 pounds and dropped sizes in clothes. Then went on 3 weeks of very low carbs and then slowly added carbs in once a week. Took 2 months off the HCG and just low carbed it. Started round 2 and basically the same results. However, was off for about 3 months, put on about 20 pounds and then Thanksgiving came around and I pigged out for 3 days straight. Did a steak day and then pounds didnt move. Since then have gained all the weight back plus some and in places I didnt have fat before. Its been a real challenge losing the weight now. Not saying the HCG has anything to do with it, its just that I can lose weight with low carbs and cardio and its just not working. The diet can be good. I have a few friends who have done it. One woman lost 86 pounds and has kept off 50 pounds of it for over 2 years. Another friend who was about 5'3'' and over 270, lost 100 pounds in a year and has since put almost all back on. I encourage you to keep up the good work and do what works for you. If you have questions, PM me.
I would like to add my experience after completing 2 rounds of 43 days each of Dr. Simeons protocol( See link below)
Invalid Link Removed
The first round I pigged out the first two days with starting the HCG injections and gained about 10-12 pounds. The first few days, actually week, of the 500 calories were brutal. I was tired and asleep by 8pm. Second week and beyond I wasnt so tired however it was tough to follow the exact diet. Half grapefruit for breakfast, 100 grams boneless and skinless chicken breast with spinach and tomatoes for lunch and dinner and thats all. I did drink a ton of water and green tea. I did lift and some cardio. I was losing almost a pound a day and at the end of the 43 days, has lost 38 pounds and dropped sizes in clothes. Then went on 3 weeks of very low carbs and then slowly added carbs in once a week. Took 2 months off the HCG and just low carbed it. Started round 2 and basically the same results. However, was off for about 3 months, put on about 20 pounds and then Thanksgiving came around and I pigged out for 3 days straight. Did a steak day and then pounds didnt move. Since then have gained all the weight back plus some and in places I didnt have fat before. Its been a real challenge losing the weight now. Not saying the HCG has anything to do with it, its just that I can lose weight with low carbs and cardio and its just not working. The diet can be good. I have a few friends who have done it. One woman lost 86 pounds and has kept off 50 pounds of it for over 2 years. Another friend who was about 5'3'' and over 270, lost 100 pounds in a year and has since put almost all back on. I encourage you to keep up the good work and do what works for you. If you have questions, PM me.
Jericho22
New member
Thanks conan! I was hoping some more people would post their experiences on this diet so we have some more examples to learn from.
The problem you and your friend faced is probably a problem that the majority of HCG Diet users face, which is realizing that losing the weight (at least on this plan) is the EASY part. Dropping the weight only takes a few weeks of strict dedication, keeping it off in the long run and staying healthy is much harder. You said you lost 38 lbs the first time and had similar results the 2nd time, so I'm guessing at least 60-70 lbs total and you said you have a friend that lost 100 lbs. Those are HUGE drops in weight! But without a drastic change to the lifestyle that put the pounds on in the first place it's not all that surprising that, given enough time, anybody will put a lot of the weight back on.
The one thing I hope people learn is that this diet is NOT a magic shot that will melt the fat and keep it off. I encourage anybody that is interested to do the research for themselves and decide if this program is right for them on an individual basis, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a solid plan to fall back on after the HCG Diet to KEEP the fat off for good!
The problem you and your friend faced is probably a problem that the majority of HCG Diet users face, which is realizing that losing the weight (at least on this plan) is the EASY part. Dropping the weight only takes a few weeks of strict dedication, keeping it off in the long run and staying healthy is much harder. You said you lost 38 lbs the first time and had similar results the 2nd time, so I'm guessing at least 60-70 lbs total and you said you have a friend that lost 100 lbs. Those are HUGE drops in weight! But without a drastic change to the lifestyle that put the pounds on in the first place it's not all that surprising that, given enough time, anybody will put a lot of the weight back on.
The one thing I hope people learn is that this diet is NOT a magic shot that will melt the fat and keep it off. I encourage anybody that is interested to do the research for themselves and decide if this program is right for them on an individual basis, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a solid plan to fall back on after the HCG Diet to KEEP the fat off for good!
conan1071
Member
I totally agree. In my experience once I ate carbs and sugars, my hunger got out of control. Nothing I had ever had before.
Jericho22
New member
Glad to hear it Easy! I'm sure she'll do great with you there to help motivate her. Staying mentally strong is the real battle on this diet.
EasyEJL
Never enough
see thats the thing where just changing how you eat on a regular basis, and slowly losing the weight is better overall as theres no need for a solid plan to switch to afterwards, you just keep living that way.
With my wife, the sort of plus is that she was only looking to lose 10-15lbs anyhow so not a huge change in her total mass, or daily caloric intake needs so she can more or less go back to close to what she was eating before where she was basically maintaining the 135 vs the 120 she is looking to be at.
MidwestBeast
Legend
This is turning into a great thread. I hope by the end it may even get stickied, because people who consider this route should definitely read this (along with any other user logs they can find; biggest problem being is that they really aren't out there yet).
Anyway, great work, buddy. Keep doing your thing! And glad to hear the progress is going well for your wife, Easy!
(btw, I'll say it again that I'm largely against the first two days of pigging out; totally skews the results and very likely adds bodyfat right off the bat. I think that keeping a normal diet with higher calories would be beneficial for the first day or two, until the levels stabilize and you're getting the hCG flowing, but disagree with the binge.)
Anyway, great work, buddy. Keep doing your thing! And glad to hear the progress is going well for your wife, Easy!
(btw, I'll say it again that I'm largely against the first two days of pigging out; totally skews the results and very likely adds bodyfat right off the bat. I think that keeping a normal diet with higher calories would be beneficial for the first day or two, until the levels stabilize and you're getting the hCG flowing, but disagree with the binge.)
Jericho22
New member
I agree with the point you're making, but I wouldn't necessarily say there is such a huge difference in starting out on a normal plan or adopting one after a round of the HCG Diet. The only difference really would be setting your maintenance calories lower since you will weigh less after the HCG.
If you use 15 cals/lb for maintenance then subtract 500 for weight loss (just an example), then at 190 lbs I would've started my cutting diet around 2350 calories and gradually decrease as I lost weight, vs starting at 2125 calories if I end up at 175 after the HCG. I'm just fast forwarding through the first 15 lbs of progression.
Somebody that is obese and just trying to "eat healthy" to lose weight probably won't go into such detail as to count calories, but at a certain point some kind of portion control is necessary and the same principle applies (less body weight = less food required).
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Jericho22
New member
Thanks Beast!
I know I was very frustrated when trying to research this because there aren't many quality logs/reviews out there (at least that I could find). Most of them are just arguments that go something like...
HCG User: HCG is awesome! All I did was take a shot and I lost 100 pounds in 2 weeks!
Non-HCG User: Lol ur stupid, you will die on 500 cals.
Glad to see we're getting quality conversation in this thread, I was afraid I was just going to get flamed and/or ignored when I started posting this.
I think a lot of the claims from the original protocol are largely BS. It seems like he came up with a bunch of pointless, very specific details so if it didn't work for somebody he could blame it on something completely pointless (saying a mother can't have a taste of the sauce she cooks for her family?). Or people would get impatient after a day of no change, which inevitably happens, and he would find some small pointless detail he made up that the patient hadn't been following. They would naturally drop weight after a day or two, but they would think it was because of some magic detail that he made them change.
/end rant
I agree about the 2 day binge inflating total weight loss, as I've mentioned before, but in just 2 days I doubt it's much more than just water weight. That's why for my personal log I'm not counting the few pounds I added in those 2 days. It's a pretty crappy feeling to realize that most of the results I've found were most likely inflated by 5-10 pounds though. I have no idea how I didn't realize this before starting because I know what happens when I binge on carbs all day, I just didn't put 2 and 2 together until I actually did it myself.
EasyEJL
Never enough
Perhaps true at only losing 10-15 lbs, but most people using this are trying to lose 40+. By them approaching it gradually over a year they build the habit of smaller portions over time. But losing it in a month, and changing your "normal" daily eating from what it was before to 1500-2000 calories less is prone to more error and along with it weight regain.
Jericho22
New member
True the issue here is sticking to the new lifestyle and people will have more trouble sticking to such a radical change. If you have somebody that is truly committed to learning healthy eating habits and dedicated to losing weight I still think they would be able to do it.
This will be different from person to person though; some people will have a lot of success and some will just stop caring and put all the weight back on. For those people that immediately go back to their old habits and put the weight right back on I have to wonder if they would have even been able to stick to a gradual change long enough to lose the weight in the first place.
MidwestBeast
Legend
Good deal, buddy. That seems to be the way it goes from what I've read; nothing, nothing, nothing, huge drop, huge drop, nothing nothing...you know
Keep going strong, I'm really excited to watch this thing til the end with you. I'm impressed at your dedication to the experiment and the log. Once I finally can get into the endo and get some answers, I very well may give this a try again.
Jericho22
New member
Good deal, buddy. That seems to be the way it goes from what I've read; nothing, nothing, nothing, huge drop, huge drop, nothing nothing...you know
Keep going strong, I'm really excited to watch this thing til the end with you. I'm impressed at your dedication to the experiment and the log. Once I finally can get into the endo and get some answers, I very well may give this a try again.
Thanks man, I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I'm glad I'm going for a short cycle though because I'm starting to feel kind of burned out. Just got back from the gym and ugh...those weights felt WAY too heavy tonight.
On a positive note - I've noticed my t-shirts that were starting to get awkwardly tight are fitting better now.
If you do decide to give it another shot be sure to keep us updated! Some more insight would be really interesting because I'm still not sure exactly how this process is working.
MidwestBeast
Legend
Glad you're noticing some changes, man - that makes it easier to follow. Keep pushing, man. Sucks the weights felt heavy tonight, but just know that losing some strength is always acceptable when cutting, and you're also gonna get a lot back once you get those glycogen stores replenished.
If I do it again, I'll definitely thoroughly track/log my process. That's what these forums are for.
I won't be attempting anything radical again, until after I have a chance to talk with an endo, though.
MidwestBeast
Legend
:bigok:
manbeast31
Member
great job so far man i did a run of hcg recently and ran epi along with it to keep my strength up and lost 26 lbs keep all muscle minus 2.3 lbs but no big deal but i ate 800 cals a day
MidwestBeast
Legend
Very nice!
Do you mind sharing a few more specifics? Namely:
- length of cycle
- how many iu / day
- sub-q or intra-muscular injections
- what you ate (did you do the same thing every day / did you have any cheats/slipups?)
- did you do the first couple days binge
I'd love to know :cool2:
manbeast31
Member
38 days was the length i was using 25 iu's a day and i was doing intra muscular injections in my upper thigh. i did one cheat every sat or fri, as far as the first 2 loading days i really just ate like normal nothing crazy im now using phentermine just to hold on or lose a bit more body fat and they gave me 30mg time released caps and i like them just not the terrible dry mouth but i can manage. any thing else let me know :firedevil:
Jericho22
New member
Well tonight's workout was complete crap. I mentioned not feeling very strong during my last workout but I did still manage to get through it. Tonight I felt downright weak. I struggled so much with the first 3 sets that I didn't even attempt a 4th set on anything.
Thankfully I only have a few days left so it's not a big deal. I'll probably just skip my 2nd workout this week and get back to it next week when I can start eating like normal.
Thankfully I only have a few days left so it's not a big deal. I'll probably just skip my 2nd workout this week and get back to it next week when I can start eating like normal.
Jericho22
New member
Day 20
174.8 lbs (-1.2, -15.4 total)
(soccer announcer voice)
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL
MidwestBeast
Legend
Haha! Awesome! Good for you, man! That takes some serious commitment and you did it.
I'd recommend going a little ways past your "goal" though, because you'll definitely see a decent rebound from the glycogen
Jericho22
New member
Haha! Awesome! Good for you, man! That takes some serious commitment and you did it.
I'd recommend going a little ways past your "goal" though, because you'll definitely see a decent rebound from the glycogen
Oh no doubt man, I didn't mean that to sound like I was ending it. I'm going til I run out of HCG which should be on Thursday (day 23).
Jericho22
New member
Day 21
173.8 lbs (-1.0, -16.4 total)
Ok, couple of issues. I started getting a sick/lightheaded feeling a couple times yesterday and again this morning. Also had one hell of a time getting out of bed this morning just because I felt like absolute crap (thankfully I'm off work today so I slept in). Then on top of that when I went to take my HCG I could not for the life of me find a spot to inject that didn't hurt like hell.
I had every intention of sticking it out until Thursday but based on these issues I decided to make a small change that I'm super psyched about....
TODAY IS MY LAST DAY!
I'm very happy with the results overall and I really don't think a couple extra days would make a huge difference. Tomorrow morning will be my ending weigh-in and measurements.
173.8 lbs (-1.0, -16.4 total)
Ok, couple of issues. I started getting a sick/lightheaded feeling a couple times yesterday and again this morning. Also had one hell of a time getting out of bed this morning just because I felt like absolute crap (thankfully I'm off work today so I slept in). Then on top of that when I went to take my HCG I could not for the life of me find a spot to inject that didn't hurt like hell.
I had every intention of sticking it out until Thursday but based on these issues I decided to make a small change that I'm super psyched about....
TODAY IS MY LAST DAY!
I'm very happy with the results overall and I really don't think a couple extra days would make a huge difference. Tomorrow morning will be my ending weigh-in and measurements.
MidwestBeast
Legend
Sorry to hear about the issues, bud. Congrats on going this deep in the diet and on all of the success you've had. I'm looking forward to seeing your final measurements. If you wouldn't mind, post up your 2nd set of final measurements a few days after you've gone back to a normal diet to see how much size you gain back in your muscles.
Great work, man!
Jericho22
New member
Thanks bro, I'm really glad somebody is interested in this.
Honestly if I wasn't so close to the end I would have just sucked it up and powered through, but like I said I'm more than happy with the results through 21 days and to me an extra 2-3 days just isn't worth messing with right now. Plus since I've been getting close to the end I've been thinking more and more about where to go from here and it's got me really excited about just eating normally again
I'll be paying close attention to what happens in the next couple weeks since I think that will be the really interesting part, so I'll definitely post a couple more updates.
Jericho22
New member
Diet is over!
Weighed in at 174.4 lbs this morning. Here's what I lost in 21 days:
Weight: 15.8 lbs
Neck: 1"
Chest: 3"
Waist: 3"
Bicep: 1/4"
This was all over the course of 3 weeks, lifting 2x per week for 45-50 mins (except the last week which had only 1 partial workout) and no cardio. Just in case anybody remembers me mentioning cardio earlier I chose the path of the lazy bastard and never ended up doing it.
I took before and after pictures for my own personal record and I can see progress everywhere. My problem areas (chest/stomach) are definitely smaller and my upper back looks a little wider now in comparison to my lower back.
Overall I can't imagine being happier with my results after only 3 weeks. I'm not nearly as lean as I want to be yet but this diet has gotten me a lot closer!
Weighed in at 174.4 lbs this morning. Here's what I lost in 21 days:
Weight: 15.8 lbs
Neck: 1"
Chest: 3"
Waist: 3"
Bicep: 1/4"
This was all over the course of 3 weeks, lifting 2x per week for 45-50 mins (except the last week which had only 1 partial workout) and no cardio. Just in case anybody remembers me mentioning cardio earlier I chose the path of the lazy bastard and never ended up doing it.
I took before and after pictures for my own personal record and I can see progress everywhere. My problem areas (chest/stomach) are definitely smaller and my upper back looks a little wider now in comparison to my lower back.
Overall I can't imagine being happier with my results after only 3 weeks. I'm not nearly as lean as I want to be yet but this diet has gotten me a lot closer!
MidwestBeast
Legend
Congrats, buddy! Truly awesome and inspiring log - very well done. I hope a lot of people get to see this. You used this diet the way that it should be - accomplish some quick short term results and jump into a healthy, well-managed nutritional plan. I wish you the best of luck and hope I see you around the forums frequently.
Jericho22
New member
Just realized it's been a little over a week since I finished the HCG so it's time for an update!
Weighed in this morning at 177.4 which is 3 pounds up from the end of the diet. Most of that came in the first few days as I started eating a lot of carbs, since then the only change I've seen is a little bit of fluctuating up and down.
Measurements are pretty close to the same. I measured a 1/4" loss in my arms during the diet but they're back to original size now. Only other measurement that changed is my waist is a little bigger now than at the end of the diet so I guess that is where I hold the extra water weight.
Weighed in this morning at 177.4 which is 3 pounds up from the end of the diet. Most of that came in the first few days as I started eating a lot of carbs, since then the only change I've seen is a little bit of fluctuating up and down.
Measurements are pretty close to the same. I measured a 1/4" loss in my arms during the diet but they're back to original size now. Only other measurement that changed is my waist is a little bigger now than at the end of the diet so I guess that is where I hold the extra water weight.
Jericho22
New member
I think maybe next round my wife does of this, i'll join in but rather than use HCG i'll just use something like 1000mg of Masteron a week plus 600 mg testosterone
I've seen some people mention trying the HCG along with test or something to retain muscle. Seems like it would be a good idea. Not sure if you could completely drop the HCG though, of course I'm not sure exactly what it is that the HCG does.
How is it going for the wife?
MidwestBeast
Legend
Great update, man. Glad to hear you've been able to keep it off!
And glad to hear it's gone well for the wife, Easy!
I've talked to someone who ran tren duing his run of the diet and it worked well for him. I'd recommend keeping the hCG in play along with the anabolics. I know there isn't enough to really know this, yet, but I theorize that the hCG induces a form of ketosis and that's the key to burning predominantly fat over muscle (as muscle would be more readily available in terms of your body choosing one over the other). So hCG + the diet + anabolics = crazy fat loss, strength gains and muscle retention (in theory).
And glad to hear it's gone well for the wife, Easy!
I've talked to someone who ran tren duing his run of the diet and it worked well for him. I'd recommend keeping the hCG in play along with the anabolics. I know there isn't enough to really know this, yet, but I theorize that the hCG induces a form of ketosis and that's the key to burning predominantly fat over muscle (as muscle would be more readily available in terms of your body choosing one over the other). So hCG + the diet + anabolics = crazy fat loss, strength gains and muscle retention (in theory).
bayboi
New member
any recommended anabolics that arent hard to find ? a bunch of stuff like the hgh i cant find or locate are oral anabolics any good ?