I wanted to address this topic a little bit. I am now on Day 29 of the VLCD (very low calorie diet). In this amount of time, I have had 6 total days of weight gain (3 times @ 2 days in a row). Today is the third time that I have gained weight for the 2nd day in a row. Strange, huh? I believe my body is showing a pattern…
What do you do when you gain weight on VLCD?
First of all, do not stress out over it. It’s really not that big of a deal unless you are cheating or not following the protocol.
Second, reevaluate everything that you have eaten. Have you followed the protocol? Are you ONLY eating the allowed foods? Have you weighed your fruits and veggies and added up calories to equal no more than 500? Are you eating oils? Are you eating your fruits in the same meal (a NO-NO)? Are you combining your breadsticks (another NO-NO)?
Third, are you using oily lotions or products on your skin? Are you ovulating or on your menstrual cycle? Did you exercise recently? Are you getting enough sleep at night?
Fourth, are you drinking enough water? Water is VERY important to this diet. It helps flush away the fat! In the manuscript, Dr. Simeons says that patients should be drinking at least 2 liters of fluids per day. It has been recommend by numerous health sites that a person should drink half their weight in ounces daily. If you weigh 200 lbs, then you should be drinking 100 ounces of water per day! At my current weight, I should be drinking 90 ounces of water per day. However, I am drinking 1 gallon of water (128 oz.) every day. It has really helped my digestive system!
All of these factors come into play on this diet. First, evaluate everything that I have said above before moving on to the information below.
Remember, as a woman, it is normal to go through weight fluctuations. Women hold more water than men. It’s also easier for a man to lose weight. The average weight loss for a woman is 1/2 pound per day. Evaluate your progress so far. From your start date, what is your average weight loss? Despite the six days that I have gained and two days of no loss, I am still averaging .62 per day from the time that I started this diet. I am above the average loss for a woman.
Should I try an apple day?
People tend to panic when they start gaining weight or have days of no losses. In Dr. Simeons manuscript, he addresses “The Plateau”. A true plateau, according to the good doctor, is after 4-6 days of no losses and frequently occurs during the second half of a phase. Unless you have been stuck for at least 4-6 days, then you are not in a TRUE plateau.
If a patient wants to break up a plateau, then they can have an “Apple Day”. An apple day begins at lunch and continues just until lunch the next day. You are allowed 6 apples to eat throughout the day whenever you are hungry. You should only drink enough water to quench your thirst, and you are not to eat anything else until lunch the next day.
Is an Apple Day worth it?
In my opinion, not really. Dr. Simeons describes the “Apple Day” as purely psychological ! Basically, it’s for those that feel like they need to see movement on the scale.
Why do we gain or plateau if we are following the protocol?
Again, Dr. Simeons explains this in his manuscript. Let’s review how this diet works. While on HCG and a VLCD, fat is pulled from the cells of the fatty tissue. Once the cells have been emptied, before they are absorbed by the body, they may fill with water. Water is heavier than fat. In this process, you could show no loss or even a slight gain. When the tissue has been broken down and absorbed by the body, you will probably experience an increase in urination and a loss on the scale. Here is a quote from Dr. Simeons manuscript:
“The weight registered by the scale is determined by two processes not necessarily synchronized. Under the influence of HCG, fat is being extracted from the cells, in which it is stored in the fatty tissue. When these cells are empty and therefore serve no purpose, the body breaks down the cellular structure and absorbs it, but breaking up of useless cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, etc., may lag behind the process of fat-extraction. When this happens the body appears to replace some of the extracted fat with water which is retained for this purpose. As water is heavier than fat the scales may show no loss of weight, although sufficient fat has actually been consumed to make up for the deficit in the 500-Calorie diet. When then such tissue is finally broken down, the water is liberated and there is a sudden flood of urine and a marked loss of weight. This simple interpretation of what is really an extremely complex mechanism is the one we give those patients who want to know why it is that on certain days they do not lose, though they have committed no dietary error.”
This should help explain the process of fat loss on the HCG Diet.
To conclude this topic, don’t stress over the scale! This is why it is important to continue to measure yourself. Many people experience inches lost while the scale isn’t moving. We lose weight in a stair step fashion. Our bodies need time to adjust. Keep following the diet, and it will work for you. Don’t try to cheat the system. This is an effective way to lose weight.
Good Luck!
Tags : Dr. Simeons, exercise, HCG Diet Tips, phase 2, plateau, pounds and inches, sleep, water, weight gain
