My Vegan P3 Experience

**Miapapillon** · February 28th, 2015, 03:22 PM

I'm on my second P3 (first completed round of HCG was done in late 2010). Initially I thought I would just post/check-in about my P2 experience, but I thought it might be helpful for future vegan folks trying this protocol to hear about another vegan's experience.

**Here are a few important notes about my food choices. I do not subscribe to a lot of the junk science that I see on this forum and floating around on the internet about the gluten intolerance (with the exception of celiac disease, which a close friend has had for nearly two decades and I'm quite familiar with), soy or "processed" foods, so you won't be hearing me defending or explaining my food choices. I've been in academia for nearly a decade and I read peer-reviewed journals on a variety of subjects, including nutritional biochemistry, quite often and most of what is said on this forum about those subjects is either based on unqualified authors or unsubstantiated or debunked research. The only thing I will agree on is processed foods from big corporate companies like Kraft, General Mills, McDonalds, Taco Bell etc. are not healthy choices, but they are things that I've never eaten as an adult so that's never been an issue for me.**

So, on to journaling my P3 experience. I wrapped up P2 on February 21st. I completed the 72 hour VLCD with a drop of 2.2lbs from LIW. The following day, P3D2, I loss another .2lbs, for a total of 2.4lbs below LIW. Today is P3D5 and I've held steady every day at 2.4lbs below LIW. Since my HCG protocol is completely rogue because I'm doing it as a vegan, I'm not too worried about being .4lbs below the acceptable 2lbs limit of LIW, but every day I'm keeping my eye out because if it drops any further I'm going to make corrections to my food choices to make sure I hold steady for the three weeks I'm doing P3. I feel really, really good. No headaches, no hunger, normal BMs again(!) and an overall sense of well-being.

I lost exactly 20lbs on this round (including the weight loss after LIW). I'm planning to do two more rounds and will be cycling back to P2 (another rogue decision on the HCG protocol). I'm trying to time it around my next TOM so I'm going to be doing somewhere between 3-4 weeks of P3, starting the next round some time in mid-March.

Here are some of my food choices for the last five days.

- For my first night on P3 I rushed out to get my favorite salad from a local place called Canteen -- I was dreaming/drooling for this salad during my last week of P2. It's their Walnut Taco Salad and it is THE BOMB!! Full of flavor; fresh, local, organic ingredients and lots of good fats: walnut taco crumbles/mixed greens/pico de gallo/avocado curry sauce/carrots/cashew nacho spread/sliced avocado/ green onions (from their menu). I added a side of BBQ Soy Curls for some extra protein. It was heavenly and I savored every flavorful bite.

- So far I've had a glass of red wine every night except for last night when I met up with a friend and had a bloody mary. I'm limiting myself to one glass (if any) to make sure I don't spike my weight and I've opted to eat one less fruit each day. It's the right amount for me anyway since I'm wrapping up grad school and don't want to indulge in an extra glass of wine.

- I've added almond butter to my morning protein shake plus I've added unsweetened soy milk to replace most of the water I use to make the shake. I also add a scoop of phytonutrients (concentrated greens) to my shake (I also did this in P2). The shakes are yummy and great during the week when I don't have enough time to make a 'sit-down' breakfast.

- I've eaten vegan cheese (so far just Chao brand; Heidi Ho is another favorite local brand [and she got backed by Lori on Shark Tank a few months back!]) every day and it has helped increase my fat content for the day.

- I had a big salad from Veggie Grill the other day -- the BWing Salad with avocado and vegan ranch dressing -- super yummy! I got a free side of sweet potato fries and wondered if that was going to make my weight jump up the next morning, but I've been steady for 2 days since that meal so I think that was fine. It was a "special" treat so it's not going to be a regular thang anyway.

- I bought a bag of walnuts and keep them at my drawer at work. I've been eating probably about 1/3 cup a day so far. I either add it to my lunch salad and/or nibble on a few mid-morning or mid-afternoon for a quick snack.

- Last night I enjoyed a big kale salad with garlic tahini dressing from Whole Foods with some of their Curry Tofu Salad on top as well as some almonds and walnuts. It was so flavorful and delicious!!

- I like making dishes with Beyond Meat's Grilled and Southwest Chicken -- it was one of my go to proteins during P2 -- and I continue to use it in P3. I also like Field Roast deli slices and quarter loaves. I'm going to try Beyond Meat's Beast Burger during P3 -- it just came out while I was on P2 but it was too high calorie for that phase. I also eat Gardein protein options -- a couple of them worked well for me during P2 -- but I haven't tried anything yet for P3.

- I didn't make any Butler Soy Curls during P2, but I'm planning to make some with a crazy delicious vegan buffalo wing sauce recipe this weekend so I have them ready for the week.

So far I'm sticking to the P2 fruits, but I have added broccoli and kale to my meal plans. Yesterday, I just got three 1/2 gallon bags of organic kale from a local organic farmer (only $5 for the 3 bags!) who literally picked the kale, bagged it and gave it to my friend. I've got a great recipe for kale chips from the 'Oh She Glows' cookbook so I'm going to be making up a big batch this weekend, plus I've got plenty of kale for salads, bowls and maybe even in my protein smoothie.

I love bok choy, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, sauerkraut, pickles, zucchini...well, you get the idea... and I plan to enjoy all of them during P3. I'm going to expanded my fruits and add blueberries, blackberries, coconut, etc. during P3, but I have to say that I love oranges, apples and strawberries so I've been satisfied with those fruit choices throughout the protocol.

I plan to check in on this thread during P3 to share some of my food choices, recipes, and how successful (or not) I'm at holding my weight steady. If my weight goes 2lbs above my LIW I plan to do a protein shake day (with added almond butter) for the correction. Hopefully it won't come to that!

I weigh myself every morning close to the same time (it's a little later on the weekends). Weighing in every day is really important to me because vagueness is a slippery slope. I need to know where I'm at so I can make any adjustments if needed or simply to feel good about my choices when I hold steady during this phase.

I think that wraps things up for this post. I know that I read a bunch of posts before I started, during my stalls, and when I was climbing the walls a bit towards the end of my last P2 round (35 days -- ran out of rx HCG so I didn't make it to 43 days) and thought this thread might be helpful to other vegans. Everyone's journey is a bit different so I hope you can take what you like and leave the rest.

I wish nothing but success to everyone who is trying to improve their health and emotional well-being.

Peace,
Lisa

**Miapapillon** · March 1st, 2015, 11:45 AM

So I made the vegan buffalo wing sauce last night and thought I'd share the recipe on this thread. It's really, really good and I think anyone would like this recipe, vegan or not...if you like spicy food. Recipe courtesy of The Edgy Veg.

Vegan Buffalo Sauce

2/3 c. hot pepper sauce (I use Frank's)
1/2 c. coconut oil
1-1/2 T. white vinegar
1 T. paprika (I only had smoky paprika, but it tasted just as good)
1/4 t. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/8 t. garlic powder
Salt to taste

Place the hot sauce, coconut oil, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt in a blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil while constantly stirring with a whisk.

As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, and set aside. Use it right away to coat your chosen protein or veggie (additional cooking may be necessary). I use this recipe with Butler's Soy Curls and Cauliflower, but it can also be used as a dip. This sauce will keep in the fridge for about two weeks.

**Miapapillon** · March 5th, 2015, 03:30 PM

Quick check-in on my P3 progress. I've held steady, with a couple ups and downs for the 10 days I've been on P3. I've been holding steady at 2.4lbs below LIW until yesterday when I gained a bit and was 1lb below LIW. I started TOM today and I'm down again, 3.2lbs below LIW so I'm going to make sure I get plenty of goods fats in today.

I had some digestion issues a little earlier this week that culminated into a very painful day yesterday with my colon (if you get my drift). I ate too many nuts and nut butter (almond) and it was just too much too soon on my digestive tract. It was pretty painful and I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone!!

I didn't have much of an appetite last night because I was in so much pain so I'm not surprised to see the drop, in spite of it being my first day of TOM.

On to some food choices... I picked up some avocados and have been adding them to my salads and as a side with my dinner. I like to put sauces on top of my veggies -- like steamed kale and broccoli to give them a little boost of flavor and yumminess. A quick one to make that I really like is this:

1:1:1
Of
Hot Sauce of your choice (I like Aardvarks, a local brand)
Tahini
Water
Use a hand blender to combine. It will thicken up so I usually start with 1:1:1 and then add a bit more water to thin it out to the consistency I like. It makes a really nice, creamy hot sauce dressing that's super fast and easy to whip up.

Isa Chandra is my favorite vegan cookbook author by far, but I do own books by several other vegan chefs too. I'm missing my Chickpeas, Lentils, Black Beans, etc right now, but luckily there are plenty of yummy options that are P3 friendly.

I'm feeling a bit lazy today, so I'm just going to share the link to one of Isa's recipes -- her recipes are always SO flavorful and extremely satisfying. I've learned so much about spices and creating yummy dishes since I went vegan and bought several of her cookbooks. She's sassy and I love that too! I lived in NYC for over 12 years and I'm right there with her sassy, fun approachable attitude about cooking. She hasn't updated her website with new recipes in awhile because she opened up a vegan restaurant in Omaha(!) last year called Modern Love.

Enough about that... Here's the link to her Cast Iron Stir-Fry With Avocado, Basil & Peanuts

http://Www.theppk.com/2011/03/cast-i...basil-peanuts/

Enjoy!!

**Leez** · March 5th, 2015, 04:30 PM

I've enjoyed reading your vegan log today. It sounds like you are doing great and finding success. I'm not currently vegan, but was for several years when under treatment for chronic fatigue.

I have a spicy vegan recipe to share with you (and whoever else happens to come by this thread) that you might like. (Recipe from Teresa Tapp) I love how the second bake makes it crispy. You can probably use your own vegan buffalo sauce you posted about instead of the simpler one in the recipe.

Crispy Cauliflower Buffalo "Wings"
-1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
-1 cup garbanzo bean flour
-1 cup water
-1 tsp. garlic powder
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. melted coconut oil (or more if you like) [original recipe specifies butter or ghee]
-2/3 cup hot sauce

Preheat oven to 450F. In a medium size bowl, combine flour, water, garlic powder and salt.

Whisk together until smooth. Toss cauliflower into batter making sure to coat each piece completely, then place battered cauliflower on a lightly greased, non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing half way through.

In the meantime, combine oil and hot sauce in a large bowl, stirring. When cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven and gently toss it in the hot sauce mixture. Place cauliflower back on the baking sheet and cook for an additional 25 minutes or until it becomes crispy. Allow cauliflower to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite creamy dressing.

May I ask what protein shake you use? I'm ever on the quest for a really good tasting one. I use to love the flavor of the Optein Vanilla Creme Wellness beverage (almost vegan--contains colostrum), but it has a lot of sugars.

**Miapapillon** · March 5th, 2015, 06:14 PM

Oh my gosh! Thanks for sharing that delicious recipe. You had me at crispy cauliflower!!! I've got a head of cauliflower in my fridge right now. Unfortunately, I've got class tonight, but I'm going to make it tomorrow-- I've got all the ingredients.

I currently use Jarrow's optimal plant proteins. It doesn't taste nearly as good during P2 -- surprise, surprise. It doesn't get creamy like a whey protein would when you just add water, but I did alright using it with water and frozen strawberries. Now in P3, I use unsweetened soy milk, some lite coconut milk (canned) or almond butter plus Jarrow's Green Defense. I've also added Navitas Organic Raw Cacao powder a couple of times and it practically tasted like a milk shake -- especially when I added the lite coconut milk.

Thanks for the note Leez! Looks like you've had some great success on HCG -- bravo!!

**Miapapillon** · March 6th, 2015, 11:28 AM

Super quick check-in... Day 11 and I'm back up to 2.4lb below LIW and it's the second day of TOM. Whew!

I'm really trying my best to stabilize during P3. When I did my first round of hHCG back in late 2010, I didn't have as much to lose. One round was enough. And I was a vegetarian so I had extra options that were on the official protocol. I don't remember worrying about it as much, probably because I wasn't going to be doing another round and was moving right on to P4 and maintenance -- which I held for a little over a year. I also don't think I weighed myself consistently back then.

This time around I feel much more conscious about the whole process and I'm very committed to establishing behaviors that will help me maintain -- weighing daily is a BIG one, in my opinion.

I'm still suffering from irritated colon and it is painful to go the bathroom. NOT fun. Although this may be TMI, I think it is important to be honest because someone else might be experiencing the same thing and be grateful to hear they're not alone. I really need to stay away from nuts and nut butter until I fully recover. I'm going to have to get my fats in from coconut milk, coconut oil, avocado, salad dressings, to make sure I don't lose anymore weight. I pray that I heal up ASAP!!

That's it for today...

Peace,
Lisa

**Miapapillon** · March 10th, 2015, 03:56 PM

Today is day 15 of P3 and I've been pretty steady for the most of the time. I had four days total of fluctuating (one gain day that was still 1lb below LIW and 3 days where I was b/w 3.2 and 4.4lbs below LIW -- never in a row). I've settled at 2.6lbs below LIW for the last three days. My digestive track is slowly healing and my appetite has come back in last couple of days. TOM finished yesterday.

I've gone a little rogue on P3 and added a few P4 foods -- Saturday I had a meal at one of my favorite vegan food carts -- Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ. It wasn't planned, I was out doing community outreach for my capstone project and hadn't prepared a lunch. I ended up having a sandwich called the SLOSMOMOFO Sandwich (smoked soy curls on a toasted bun with Maple-Bourbon BBQ Sauce and Chiptole Slaw) plus a small side of Sweet Potato Fries w/Chiptole Aioli. I was down 3.6lbs below LIW so I was hoping it would help pop up my weight to get closer to the 2lb max below LIW the next day...and it did, the next day I gained 1.2lbs -- so my P4 cheat actually worked in my favor. I haven't added any other starch to P3. I've also indulged in a little dark chocolate for the last four days. Wasn't craving it, more of an impulse purchase at the register, but thankfully it hasn't caused a sugar craving. I don't have any more left and don't plan on buying any more so that was a little P3 experiment that didn't seem to punish me on the scale.

I thinking about wrapping up my P3 a couple days early so I can swing back to P2 to be closer aligned with my TOM cycle. I'd like to lose between 25-30lbs and so this next round will get me about 1/2 way there. I plan to double the next round of P3 so that I can go through 2 TOM cycles before starting what I hope to be my final round of P2 and a full 23 day cycle. Let's see how my body and the scale work with my "plan."

A little self-care during P3...
My campus offers a new wellness service called the Mind Spa and I tried it out today for 45 mins. You get the room all to yourself for the entire appointment and they have a nice fung shui fountain adding some lovely background noise to the room. They have a state-of-the-art massage chair -- with a zero gravity feature -- and I had a 30 minute full body massage plus some light therapy. It was a really relaxing experience. There's also a biofeedback machine that works with your breathing and has games with visual rewards with you get your breathing into a steady, meditative zone. The assistant showed me how to use it, but today I decided just to focus on the body massage and light therapy. You're allowed 3 visits per term and I booked all 3 within a one week period -- two appointments next week. I'm excited to go back and try all three of those services for 15 mins each. It was a little bonus in the personal care department that really helped rejuvenate me today after a rough week with colon problems and a lack of appetite.

Well, if I'm going to wrap up P2 in a few days, I'd better enjoy all the avocados I just bought. I'm excited to try shorter rounds because I was definitely getting squirrelly after 28+ days on P2 last round. I'll do at least one more check-in before I start a new thread with my second P2 round. I hope to see more Vegans using the forum and sharing their experience...I hope to show that you can lose weight and hold steady as a vegan on the HCG diet.

Cheers!

**Miapapillon** · March 20th, 2015, 11:43 AM

The past week or so has been a bit crazy for me so I didn't get a chance to post my final comments for this round of P3. I finished at just 2.2 below LIW, which was exciting. The day before it was 3.6 below LIW (probably because I had been really sick for a number of days), but it bounced back on my last day so I was thrilled.

I successfully maintained my weight during P3 with no major problems food-wise.

Broccoli and kale we're my two favorite additions to the vegetable category. Broccoli really helped fill the gap of no starch go-tos like rice and quinoa to round out a meal. Super filling so I chowed down on it quite a bit.

Coconut milk (lite, canned) and coconut oil were to favorite things I got to add back into my meal planning. I'd add some coconut milk to my morning smoothie for some extra creaminess. Something I've never tried in the past so that might be another thing to add to my maintenance plan.

Since I'm avoiding a lot of my favorite go-to beans until maintenance I've been experimenting with a lot of the vegan "meat" options. Some of my favorite brands are Beyond Meat, Upton's Naturals, Field Roast, Yves, and Tofurkey. Plenty of variety for me during P3.

I drank a glass of red wine for most of P3 -- probably skipped 6-7 days and I ate some dark chocolate from Trader Joe's around 4-5 days throughout P3. Can't remember any other cheats off the top of my head, but I might have mentioned them above.

I feel great and am excited about my second round of P2 (for 2015). I just finished my first week today and I'm down 4.6lbs, but that's for another thread...

Thanks for reading!

Peace,
Lisa

**Veganhcg** · December 23rd, 2015, 04:37 AM

Thankyou for posting this

**chawna** · December 10th, 2019, 07:40 AM

Hey, Lisa. Fellow vegan here. Well, not really fair for me to claim that since i ate all thru p2...

i was having major issues with any of the meat subs so had to switch off. However, i start p3 today and i cannot eat one more bite of aomething i feel ethically conflicted about. Im going to try to switch to plant based starting today...fingers crossed...

**chawna** · December 10th, 2019, 11:57 AM

I caved and ate tuna. Ive been having such an issue on p2 and now weight gain in the 72 hrs post injections (which is unheard of) so i thought i needed to ease off of seafood..

**chawna** · December 10th, 2019, 12:07 PM

Anyway, i do plan to switch over to fully vegan in p3 in the next few days. Ill post if it works in case anyone wants to know about starting hcg eating pescatarian and moving into p3 plant based.

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