Lesser of two evils - longer P2 & cheat in P3 or shorter P2 & no cheats

**AussieGal** · March 7th, 2018, 03:23 PM

I originally planned a 26 day round of P2 to have the end of P3 align with a weekend away to visit family and friends (aka catching up over drinks). But as I learn more on this forum, I see that longer rounds have been more successful for stabilising. Also, it would be nice not to do back to back rounds and able to regain my social life.

A 40 day round will put my weekend away 7 days in to P3. Is it possible to rebound from this? I've read that you can go back on the hcg for a week to lose weight from a binge and then restart P3? Has anyone had experience doing this? Did you stabilise okay afterwards?

I am a stickler for the OP, my losses have been average 0.6 lbs/day and I'm at P2D20 with 20 more lbs or so to my 'goal weight'. I am using hcg to kickstart my weight loss because my body just wanted to stay at 200lbs. I am certainly not expecting to lose the rest of the weight in the one round (or two short rounds, I am unfortunately, very average in my weight loss rates), but I would like to get as far along as possible. Otherwise I may just have to do another short round to finish P3 in time for my longer holiday. Anyone else basing the amount of time on this diet on when holidays are?

**Leez** · March 7th, 2018, 04:23 PM

Some tough love. Please take this in the spirit of trying to help you look at the big picture.

What is the reason you can't be in P3 during your weekend away and just not indulge in a bunch of alcohol? Its easy to just order a club soda with lime, or even stick to one vodka drink or one glass of wine and still not torpedo your P3. Sticking to P3 eating in social situations is quite easy to do as well.

It just puzzles me that anyone would want to invest time, money and determination in doing the protocol and then actually plan a course of action likely to derail them. P3 is as important as P2, and after all, is it not about long-term success? The ability to keep a lower set point after HCG is the big payoff. It's not worth a couple of days of indulgence to mess that up, in my view.

One of the things that needs to change for long-term success is not just physiological. Its also our priority system and how we allow the desire for decadent eating to take precedence over our long-term goals. Unfortunately, this is one of the areas that often takes the most "work".

People do plan their rounds to fall in between events. But sometimes, it doesn't work out that you can be completely done before some social obligation happens.

If it helps, a 30 day round will usually give you the ability to stabilize well. That would put you further in to P3 and possibly make the impact of your weekend less. Some people have been able to recover from such breaches and still were able to stabilize at their ending weight, but there are no guarantees you could be one of them.

My suggestion would be to do the longest round you can, and stay on plan during the holiday. That way you'll get the most out of what HCG can do for you, and you'll be looking ahead to being at goal and having the best possible chance to stay at goal once you get there.

**Jmmrr** · March 8th, 2018, 09:56 AM

I don't understand why you can't stick to P3. I've done it while traveling and while on vacation. It's easy.

That said, I guess I'd go for the shorter P2 and not cheat in P3. I think that P3 and P4 are more important than P2. Losing weight is easy. Locking in that weight loss and keeping it off is hard. Therefore, I don't think I'd go on some kind of a binge during P4 either. I'd very, very slowly and carefully add tiny amounts of P4 foods in at a snail's pace.

As long as you meet the minimum 23 injections, I think you'll be fine with a shorter round. I wouldn't cut the P2 short.

**sk1771** · March 8th, 2018, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by Jmmrr

I don't understand why you can't stick to P3. I've done it while traveling and while on vacation. It's easy.

Hi Jmrrr, my boss unexpectedly asked me to go on a business trip next month and its one week into my p3. I've been fretting. I see you wrote you've been able to travel on p3 and its been easy. Can you please give me some ideas/inspiration of how you make it easy? I'll need the tips! I'm scared at the thought of eating out in a restaurant, even if I order a salad, who knows what hidden additives there might be. I know I could go to Whole Foods deli section and salad bar for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...but even that worries me! How do you do it?? Thank you in advance, your help will be MUCH appreciated!

**Jmmrr** · March 8th, 2018, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by sk1771

Can you please give me some ideas/inspiration of how you make it easy? !

Really just anything that's protein and fat works well. Just skip the starches and don't order dessert.

Breakfast: eggs - spinach, mushroom and cheese omelet, scrambled eggs, poached eggs on a bed of steamed spinach, fried eggs, eggs benedict with no bread. Bacon (yes, it's probably cured with sugar if you get it in a restaurant, but I take the risk). Fruit (I don't eat it, but you could). Off the buffet - cheeses, meats and smoked salmon, salad. Coffee with cream.

Lunch: cobb salad or other meat and vegetable salad combination. A chicken caesar salad with no croutons. Or a scoop of tuna salad on a bed of lettuce or spinach. Chipotle burrito bowl with meat, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and a bunch of salsas. Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken nuggets and salad. In-n-Out protein style double double (or equivalent at any other fast food place).

Dinner: fajita meat (seafood, chicken, beef, pork) with guacamole, sour cream and salsa, but no tortillas. Grilled fish or steak or chicken with extra vegetables and a salad no croutons, oil and vinegar for dressing. Fresh strawberries for dessert, plain or with unsweetened whipped cream if you can get it.

**Leez** · March 8th, 2018, 09:55 PM

Just a note on restaurant omelets: be sure to ask omelets to be made from shell eggs or cracked eggs. A lot of places add pancake batter to their omelets and they don't always tell you. Although some of them brag about it on the menu.

**sk1771** · March 9th, 2018, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Jmmrr

Really just anything that's protein and fat works well. Just skip the starches and don't order dessert.

Breakfast: eggs - spinach, mushroom and cheese omelet, scrambled eggs, poached eggs on a bed of steamed spinach, fried eggs, eggs benedict with no bread. Bacon (yes, it's probably cured with sugar if you get it in a restaurant, but I take the risk). Fruit (I don't eat it, but you could). Off the buffet - cheeses, meats and smoked salmon, salad. Coffee with cream.

Lunch: cobb salad or other meat and vegetable salad combination. A chicken caesar salad with no croutons. Or a scoop of tuna salad on a bed of lettuce or spinach. Chipotle burrito bowl with meat, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and a bunch of salsas. Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken nuggets and salad. In-n-Out protein style double double (or equivalent at any other fast food place).

Dinner: fajita meat (seafood, chicken, beef, pork) with guacamole, sour cream and salsa, but no tortillas. Grilled fish or steak or chicken with extra vegetables and a salad no croutons, oil and vinegar for dressing. Fresh strawberries for dessert, plain or with unsweetened whipped cream if you can get it.

Jmmrr this is great, thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to share all of these p3 travel food ideas. I am feeling more positive that I can do it! Cheers

**Jmmrr** · March 9th, 2018, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Leez

Just a note on restaurant omelets: be sure to ask omelets to be made from shell eggs or cracked eggs. A lot of places add pancake batter to their omelets and they don't always tell you. Although some of them brag about it on the menu.

Good advice. IHOP is known for putting pancake batter in their eggs. And it's a good idea to ask for shell eggs anyway. The cartons of eggs are really creepy and disgusting.

**AussieGal** · March 14th, 2018, 04:25 AM

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it! I decided to do a shorter round (27 days) to not interfere with P3. I understand your confusion about why I don't believe I can stay on P3 while away for the weekend. Food won't be the issue, it will be the alcohol. I know Dr. S says we can have a small glass of wine, but in this social situation I am not willing to place bets on my willpower and jeopardize my stabilization

Again, I appreciate your advice, on this thread and all the others I've read!

**grammy1952** · March 14th, 2018, 06:25 AM

Oh dear. What you're not understanding is that cheating badly in P3 threatens your stabilization more than anything else you can possibly do.

P3 is the most important part of the entire protocol. What we've seen here on the forum over and over again is that when you cheat badly with alcohol, all willpower usually evaporates and the person eats all kinds of things that shoot their weight up. It's not uncommon to come back from a weekend like that and be up 10 pounds. Just so you know what you're facing here.

**Victoriaroserose** · March 14th, 2018, 07:08 PM

I agree...don’t do it. That’s how I came undone when I was last on this 2 years ago. I didn’t pay nearly enough attention to the stabilization phase and it really stuffed everything up. You’ve worked too hard to get this far. Drinking just to be social might be a bit of a red flag...