Down about 43 Lbs on HCG diet

[jimmyhoffa59]

It has been 15 weeks come Wednesday and I have been at a stand still for the last month or so, stuck in the 280-278 lbs range. My diet is 4-6 meals a day, 2 servings of fruit, cut carbs after 2pm mostly. Typical day is this:
Morning:
2 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup zucchini diced
1 60cal yogurt
1 slice whole wheat

Mid morning:
1 1/2 scoop protein
few almonds
apple

Lunch:
2-3 oz turkey meat
1 yogurt
1 slice whole wheat

Mid afternoon:
3 oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Dinner:
1 cup cantalope
1/2 cup cottage cheese
few almonds

It is not always like this but you get the idea. Well the HCG diet is crap compared to other stuff I have tried before but I will not review it here, just want to get to my point.

I am down about 43 lbs
My HCG diet ends on week 16 which is NEXT wednesday.
I am fu*cking MORTIFIED to change my diet, this stuff is not working anymore (Diet) Im taking in 1200-1500 cals or less a day doing cardio 20-30 mins 4 days a week and working out 3 days a week. I am so scared to add carbs, carb cycle or eat more calories but this diet is got my weight at a stand still and I am still really heavy. I started back in 07 at 330lbs got down to like 293, then got back up to 321 when I started this diet 15 weeks ago, and am down to 278 but it will NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER DOWN! AT my weight I should have been able to be in a massive caloric deficit but how do I overcome the fear of changing my diet, I feel like id hate myself if I gained ANY weight back and I am not having trouble with diet at all, just not sure what will work for me, I need someone to guide me into a new program, maybe what Palumbo has or SOMETHING that will work. I just am scared to do it and need help. ANyone??

Anyways my profile pics are from 07, when I started this diet I was back up to my heavy size in my before pics, I will put up new pics on week 16 but I still need help.

[Haz-bodybuilder]

man eating that little food will bring you into starvation mode and your body will burn more muscles as fuel too and itl leave you with tiny little arms,calves,face and leave the fat on the stomach. Up your calories to 2000-2300 from all that excercise your body is burning over 2800cals easy.

I dont have research to prove this, but this is how many people become skinny fat

[coals]

Make a slow transition over the course of a week or so back toa more normal diet. If you've been dieting for 15 weeks, I'd recommend taking 3 weeks off. 1 week slow transition maintainance and then 2 weeks @ maintainance. This is helpful for a number of psychological and physiological reasons (upregulation of hormones, increased metabolism, halt muscle catabolysis etc). Plus i found that when I take a break i actually continue to lose a few pounds due to being bloated when i diet.


Also .. relax! I took you YEARS to get up to that weight you won't balloon up to 300 pounds overnight.

[jcosley]

Originally Posted by Haz-bodybuilder

man eating that little food will bring you into starvation mode and your body will burn more muscles as fuel too and itl leave you with tiny little arms,calves,face and leave the fat on the stomach. Up your calories to 2000-2300 from all that excercise your body is burning over 2800cals easy.

I dont have research to prove this, but this is how many people become skinny fat

STFU!!!!! Starvation mode nonsense is BS.

OP....your diet looks solid. Are you doing any REFEED or cheat meals or anything? Maybe you don't have to change your diet but change your exericse routine. Are you only doing cardio? Start doing weight training ASAP if you aren't....change intensities....carb cycle....if I were you i would shoow for the 2000-2500 calorie range. Keep it clean. You can do it.

[mpipes]

What's your normal daily activity like outside of the cardio and working out? If it's low, this can make or break your progress. If you're eating 1200-1500 per day you very well could be subconsciously lowering your total daily non-exercise activity since you have less energy to do anything. You have to really make a point not to spend too much time sitting around doing nothing, if you can. Keep busy with non-exercise activity like hobbies and social activities.

What's your cardio intensity like? If it's high, you might need to reduce it so your body can recover better and let inflammation from stress/dieting/training subside. This is why the non-exercise activity is good because you'll burn energy without stressing your body out.

At your weight and what you have left to go, you *shouldn't* be having any big hormone crashes at this stage of the game slowing your fat loss, even with the aggressive calorie deficit. Your body still has plenty of energy it can easily tap into to make up the difference.

As far as reintroducing carbs, you're going to have some increased weight from water/glycogen. You just gotta suck it up and not get freaked out by it.

You can either increase your calories slowly so you don't get a big initial gain, or you can embrace eating, say "Screw it!!!" and not worry about the hit.

[everblue]

Originally Posted by Haz-bodybuilder

man eating that little food will bring you into starvation mode and your body will burn more muscles as fuel too and itl leave you with tiny little arms,calves,face and leave the fat on the stomach. Up your calories to 2000-2300 from all that excercise your body is burning over 2800cals easy.

I dont have research to prove this, but this is how many people become skinny fat

neg'd for broscience research

[tryingtofocus]

I was the same weight when I started as you months ago and went from 332 to 310 and a few weeks after that went back to 318 and said enough is enough. Since then I have been counting my calories and eating a little bit later, but still take in 2000 to 2500 calories a day depending on what day of the week it is. In 2 and a half months I have lost 40 pounds and some weeks I am at a stand still because of what I may eat and pack on some water weight.

I say you have a good plan, but I would for sure up the calories as that is too little IMO. I am at 278 as well and just lost 4 pounds in the last week.

Post #5 was spot on.....good luck and stay with it mang. It will work out for you.