Tips on Managing Stalls/Gains

1. Watch what you’re eating; you should have a food journal and you might find patterns of foods that cause you not to lose, or to lose fantastically. A lot of people have had problems losing with tomatoes and oranges (but some people have no problem at all). Every body is different and you need to monitor your own body and see what works (and doesn’t work) for you.

2. Make sure you are drinking enough water (at least 2 liters a day).

3. Those that have held true to the diet and not cheated, have been rewarded with a large weight reduction when it finally drops. You will usually resume your previous average loss before the stall.

4. Each time you stall, take your measurements; you have probably lost inches (remember it is called Pounds and INCHES).

5. You could gain some weight and not have cheated, depending on your menses, ovulation, and hormones. Almost all of us have seen the scale go up due to water retention, etc.

6. If you eat more salt in the food you prepare, and your body isn't used to that sodium level, your blood volume will increase to handle the extra salt, which will translate into a gain because you're retaining water to boost that blood volume. In other words, watch your salt intake.

7. Remember what Simeons said about losing. You lose fat from the body cells but the cells do not disappear at the same time. The cell structure is still present for two to three days while the body breaks down the cellulose and fills the cell with water in order to release it (through urine). Once the fat cell is removed, the scale will drop.

8. Sensitivity/allergies to foods (like lemons) may cause weight stalls. Listen to your body. The guru is you!

9. Pay attention to weight gains, they usually signify a mishap in the protocol, like not drinking enough water, eating too many/too few calories, too much salt, or (inadvertently) eating foods not allowed on the protocol.

10. Be careful, spices have calories. As long as the serving size listed has less than 5 calories, the company can list 0 calories (even though it may actually have 4). Usually spices and seasonings use 1/4 of a teaspoon as their serving size, so BE CAREFUL...4 calories in 1/4 teaspoon = 16 calories in 1 teaspoon. Account for every calorie, no matter how miniscule it may seem. Here is an exact calorie count per TABLESPOON of various spices:
1TB Onion Powder = 22.54 calories
1TB Garlic Powder = 27.91 calories
1TB Chili Powder = 23.55 calories
1TB Paprica = 19.94 calories
1TB Poltry Season = 11.36 calories
1TB Oregano = 13.77 calories

11. Weight gains/stalls may take a few days to kick in. For example, you could mix your veggies for a few days and assume there is no problem based on what the scale reads, but then a stall or gain can suddenly reflect the breaking of the rules. Many people believe a stall comes out of nowhere, but it is usually instigated by something (if not a previous weight set point).
12 It is important to know that what works for one person does NOT mean it will work for everyone; to prevent stalls/gains simply do not make changes to Dr. Simeons protocol just because someone else is losing with that modification.

13. In women, menstrual periods increase water retention, and water weight shows on the scale. If you know you are following the plan and are not cheating, you just need to accept that the stall/gain is temporary and continue to follow the protocol. The drop will happen once the menstrual cycle is normalized in the body.
14. If you are following Dr. Simeons to a "T" and have no other explanations for a stall/gain, look at your life and the levels of stress. Stress causes cortisol which hinders weight loss and/or causes you to gain weight. Try to remain calm and stress-free.

Tips to Manage Cheating

1. Do NOT cheat, you will regret it...here are a few words of wisdoms from other users who have cheated in the past.

Well, guys, it all started with a Mango Mai Tai served in a martini
glass. This was Saturday. I ate a quesadilla, an extra serving of
steak, an extra apple, and so on. This is my second cheating round!
Shoot! I was doing so well, too! I was down twenty pounds... Anyway,
it ended with White Castles. Woe is me... LOL.

* * * * * * * * *

Hello Friends,

Yes I succumbed to the cheating monster. Tuesday I ate a huge
lunch and then Wednesday I ate a huge dinner. Thursday I was up 4 lbs.
This morning I was up another 3 pounds. Now if you don't think 7 pounds
is a big deal let's look at it another way. 7 lbs. = over one week of
weight loss GONE. Think about it. All the effort you have gone
thru to buy and prepare special meals for yourself. All the hard work
of not eating foods that are off limits. All the effort of drinking a
whoooooole gallon of water everyday so that you slosh when you
walk.

Another way of looking at it is that I (for me anyway} was in
control of what I put in my mouth and I darn well am going to eat what I
want when I want it. But after I cheated the second day I knew that the
food was in charge and did I want that? Heck no!! I want to lose
weight and be healthy and skinny!! To do that I need to follow Dr. S’
plan. NOT CHEATING

Cheating was a waste of time, of weight loss and of course money.
I hope my saga helps someone because that is what these posts we
make are all about.
Charlotte

2. Do not be afraid of cheating--you have complete control whether you give into temptation or not. Just because someone else has cheated does not mean you will cheat as well. Many, many people have done the protocol without cheating, and you can too. Prepare yourself for the fact that you will *want* to cheat, but *acting* on the thought is your solely decision.

3. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

4. Do NOT cheat, this cannot be stated enough, it is a waste of time and money and NOT WORTH IT! Also know that if you cheat, you will gain more than you would not on hCG.

5. To get your mind off of wanting to cheat, focus your attention on something else. You can take a walk, go to the library, movie theater, or visit with friends. It is also nice to find a support system, whether it be through an online group (visit here), a buddy who is following the diet with you, family member(s), etc. Just make sure you have someone to stop you from cheating.

6. Create a cabinet in your kitchen which supports your diet. Store your teas, Stevia, Apple Cider Vinegar, Grissini/Melba, fruit, etc. and use this special place to “snack” with items that are all allowed on the protocol.

7. Do NOT create your own substitutions. Dr. Simeons created a specific list of foods to eat and studied each food intensely. If you start making substitutions, then Dr Simeons' protocol becomes weaker and weaker, and eventually will become completely ineffective. It is the substitutions to the protocol that give the program a bad reputation; it needs to be precisely followed.

8. Do not interfere with your own weight loss success by not following the protocol! Dr Simeons' program eliminates and/or reduces sugar and carbohydrate cravings. However, if sugar and carbohydrates remain in your diet (except for the allowed starch), you are not allowing your body to cleanse and your hypothalamus to reset. These are the key to lifelong success.

9. You don't need to understand why something will or will not work with the Simeons plan. There are many unexplainable factors to the program, you just need to know that substitutions to the protocol causes weight loss to slow. Just because something doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean you should change it. Do not expect to have the results produced on the Simeons protocol if you do not follow the Simeons protocol.

10. Expect to have cravings, be hungry, and moody and expect to want to cheat. These expectations will let you be prepared to control the cravings, hunger, moods, and cheats. Prepare yourself for these feelings, but know that the decision to deviate is yours...stay strong and remember that only you are accountable for everything you put into your mouth.

11. When you feel a craving coming on, go and brush your teeth; this should help the craving pass.

12. Don't disappoint Dr. Simeons, he would not let someone remain on the hCG protocol if he/she cheated more than three times. You need to commit to the program and stay with it!

13. The only way to fix a cheat is to get back on track and tell yourself that you will not cheat. The more you tell yourself that you cannot cheat, the stronger you should feel. If you allow yourself a bite of something, you have already cheated, and you should never make that allowance.

14. When you use food as an emotional crutch, you will find it difficult to cope without that crutch while on the VLCD. You need to fill the empty spot with something healthy that you can enjoy, both on and off the protocol. This will not only reduce cravings, but also help you maintain your new healthy weight. Some possibilities include crafting, painting, walking, gardening.

15. If you go forward and cheat, you have to take responsibility for that cheat. You should feel guilty and unsatisfied, and you will pay for the cheat for three to five days. This can be 3-5 days of the scale going up, or staying the same. You have to pay for your mistakes, and it sure is time consuming. There is nothing you can do except stop cheating and vow to yourself that you will not cheat again.