Getting Started
HCG Tips for Getting Started Correctly:
First and foremost, read Pounds and Inches “cover to cover”! You will have the most success if you follow the original protocol. We don’t think anyone should undertake something like this without first getting their homework done.
You will find a lot of forums, etc. where people follow Kevin Trudeau’s guide, but there are a number of things we have found that do not work for everyone, so for the best results we recommend that you follow the original protocol.
Keep in mind that men tend to lose one pound per day and women usually lose one-half pound per day. Many people lose more in the first week and then begin taper off, so do not be frustrated if you are not loosing like you did in the beginning.
You may need to try different dosages to see what works best for your body. Start at 10 drops, three times a day and increase to 20 drops, three times a day after you begin the low calorie diet. The maximum dosage is 96 drops total per day.
Before you begin hCG
We recommend that you give your body a little cleansing prior to starting the hCG diet. Read about the Ultimate Detox and other detox methods on the blog MiracleSkinnyDrops.com
Load, Load, Load!
Loading is key to making this a success for you! Those who do not load correctly experience hunger during the first three to four days of the 500 calorie diet, while those who load correctly report low-to-no hunger. Make sure you take the hCG on loading days. The loading works with the hCG to prepare your body for the changes coming. Begin taking the drops at 10 drops, three times a day during loading and then increase as needed up to 96 total per day.
The hCG burns your abnormal fat stores for fuel, but it does not begin working until the third dose, so eating 500 calories without this effect of hCG will cause you problems in terms of losing structural fat and being extremely hungry until it does begin to work.
Dr. Simeons’ Protocol states to ‘eat to capacity’ for those first 2-3 days on the hCG diet. If you experience a gain while loading, do not be concerned. Most users release all of their load weight plus additional weight within the first two VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) days.. Consume foods high in fat, sugars, and starches. Eat as much fatty foods as you can like avocados, almond butter, and olive oil. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Coconut Oil on everything! Eat bacon, sausage, pepperoni, and load lots of butter on veggies. Eat ice cream, real whip cream, chocolates, french fries, loaded baked potato, pizza, cream, cheese, etc.
You get the idea!
Keep Records
We suggest you keep good records of everything. Download the tracking sheet on MiracleSkinnyDrops.com and write everything down. You would be amazed how some days you have to think of how many times you did the drops. Also, keep track of the number of drops you take each time. This will help later if you are trying to figure out if you need to increase or decrease your dosage. Keep track of your foods so if something does not add up right, you can go though your food list to see what might have set you back. There is a column for notes, so if you can refer back to items that may have played a role in your weight. Write down TOM (Time of Month), if you ate out, detox baths, etc. This will show a pattern to your weight loss and may help you if you plateau.
DON’T CHEAT!
It just takes away precious loosing time. You may not see the effects of cheating the next morning when you step on the scale, however, you will see it show on the scale within the week and some have reported that it can take up to a week of no weight loss for just one cheat.
Exercise
According to Pounds and Inches, you do not need to be active to lose weight. If you do physical activity you still need to keep with the VLCD. Some claim when they are over active their hunger increases.
Food Tips
Track your food daily. Use an online calorie counter such as FitDay.com or TheDailyPlate.com. Keep in mind that the food you purchase may not be on these sites, so you may have to do custom foods. A good way to count calories that are used on the hCG is to go to this site: http://DavidWallace.com/2008/10/hcg-diet-calorie-counter/
You will notice here how they list some foods not on the original protocol, so again we suggest that you use the original protocol.
Get as close to 500 calories as you can. Eating less does not mean that you will lose more, in fact many report that when they eat less they do not lose. You can eat as many vegetables as you like as long as you stay under the 500 calories.
It’s okay to use a tomato as your veggie since it’s technically a vegetable. Most find doing it either way does not affect their weight loss.
You do not need to eat your fruit for breakfast or with your meal so it may be helpful to keep an apple with you as backup emergency fuel and not eat it in the mornings.
Buy organic when possible. When Dr. Simeons created the hCG diet in the 1950’s this was not an issue, but now we are faced with numerous diet set-backs due to non-organic foods. Did you know that buying salad greens already bagged, while very convenient, have been treated with starch, usually potato whitener, to keep them fresh?
Grissini
There is alot of talk about whether or not to eat grissini or Melba toast. We believe that it was in the original protocol for a reason and therefore should not be eliminated. Many have the opinion that if you avoid these carbs in P2, you will have trouble tolerating them in P3 and P4. You can remove it if you stall, but most do not see a difference and miss the crunchy snack.
Where do I find Grissini?
You can find it at most health-based grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Safeway. You can also order it online. Don’t be concerned that they have EVOO in them. They had it when Dr. Simeons developed the protocol. We also have a recipe on our website if you would like to make it yourself.
Sugar Substitutes
Use Stevia for sweetening. We strongly recommend not using Splenda. For further explanation of this, please visit our website.
Hunger
You may periodically struggle with hunger, however most people do not. Some people experience hunger in the beginning that is most likely a result of not properly loading.
If you are hungry then increase your water or tea intake. Your body will confuse dehydration for hunger so drinking liquids usually solves the issue. Adding caffeine (i.e. coffee and teas that are not decaffeinated) will cause a dehydration effect, so always follow up with water. Don’t forget to drink at least two liters daily and more if you have caffeine beverages. You need to drink 8oz of water for every caffeine drink in addition to your normal eight glasses a day.
Dry Skin
There are a few things you can do for dry skin. Mineral oil is a life saver for the dry skin especially in the dry climate and it makes your skin glow. This works well when applied right after a bath or shower. Cornhuskers lotion is also good and can be found at Walmart. Na-PCA is a spray with Aloe Vera and is made from the natural moisturizing factor found in our skin. You can find Na-PCA spray at Whole Foods or Google it for online suppliers.
Make sure you check all of your cosmetics for fats and oils because there could be hidden surprises.
Detox Baths
Detox baths are a good way to start your hCG journey. It is recommended to cleanse and detox before loading. You can also do this throughout the protocol.
Pour 1 lb. of Epsom Salt into a very warm bath with 1 lb. baking soda (Arm & Hammer). Soak in tub of warm/hot water – as warm as can take water for at least 20 minutes. Do not shower off until next day.
You may feel light headed, dizzy, weak and completely drained after a detox bath (which is a symptom of weak adrenals), so doing it around bedtime is a good idea.
Epsom Salt “detoxes” your body by drawing out the toxins and replenishing nutrients that your body needs and it can make the skin feel nice and soft. Baking soda increases CO2 levels in the blood, which dilates blood vessels and increases circulation, causing a “tired” feeling. It is sort of like “chemical exercise”. The magnesium and bicarbonate are getting flooded with minerals and nutrients. Magnesium is a natural mild sedative and is great inside and out for reducing muscle spasms and strains.
Sometimes taking fresh squeezed orange juice with a little sea salt and sip during the bath can help this. You can also add a handful of dead sea salts, which will give minerals and micro-nutrients that will feed and improve the skin.
Take advantage of the relaxation to get a good night’s sleep.
We welcome you to join the online community on the Miracle Skinny Drops blog and on the Facebook page. Having a strong support group will greatly increase your success in countless ways. Visit the blog for recipes, tips, and the download page for any of the links mentioned above.
Thank You!
Miracle Skinny Drops
