P3 TO LIFE INTERVIEW EPISODE 8

LYNDA'S BASIC STATS:

57 years old
Weight loss with hCG: 25 lbs
Size change: Tight Size 6 to Size 2
Health condition: She is post-menopausal, she's on testosterone pellets, estrogen, progesterone and she has a sluggish thyroid.

Show Note Links:

hCGChica's Dosage Article - Lynda started out at 200 IUs. She decreased her dose 10ius, then dropped down another thirty ius. She stayed at 160iu for quite some time then she ended up dropping another ten, down to 150 IUs.
hCGChica’s Phase 3 to Life Program – you can enroll anytime, but I recommend at least a week BEFORE P3 starts if at all possible so you have time to familiarize yourself with the program and plan ahead.
Lynda's Sanity Savers:
- Miracle Noodles
- Savory Spice Shop - If you don’t already have a nice store of spices in your pantry, they can be pricey. This online source is MUCH more affordable when you need a batch of spices and also much FRESHER which means it actually add the ton of flavor it’s supposed to, unlike most grocery store sources.
- Peppermint tea + chocolate stevia - she had this on both P2 and P3
Flexible Thai Knife
Instant Pot: 6Qt
PiYo Workout - Lynda is doing this now on Phase 3. PiYo combines the muscle-sculpting, core-firming benefits of Pilates with the strength and flexibility advantages of yoga.
Calorieking - Food diary app

Other strategies Lynda did for a successful P2:

Wear disposable gloves while cooking oily foods
Lynda used UltraBurn injections to keep her energy up
Read nutrition labels
Eat before going to a restaurant. Have a coffee at the restaurant. If you really have to eat your packed meal, just tell the restaurant staff you're on a special restrictive diet.

Here is Lynda's original email to me:

"Thank you so much for adding this element to P3 to Life! Love the flexibility, list of approved foods and nutritional value. I especially LOVE the ability to create a grocery list from the recipes- that's a great time saver!!....Just want to express how much I appreciate your HELP! I just completed my 1st week on P3! The recipes were simply DELICIOUS! I'm still am amazed at the amount of foods in each serving! Thank you also for adding the Extra's List of foods when you are still hungry. Also, the tools that you have shared and the resources like the savory spice shop. The Kiwi knife arrived yesterday and it is quite the knife for $7!!"

Thank you for responding so quickly! I have to tell you that all the hard work you' did to share EVERYTHING about hCG. P1,P2, P3... has made this a success for me. Once I decided to jump into hCG (injections)- I watched your videos and then read and coped all that you've created and placed into a binder- tabbed all the categories and continue to use it as 'my hCG Bible".

During part of P2, I stayed at my daughter's house as she delivered her 4th child and needed some help- so for 18 days while on P2- I continued without a hitch. I wore disposable gloves to cook all meals- bacon, cheese, PB&J's mac/cheese, etc. and wipe sweet lil faces 🙂 ! Prior to traveling, I weighed, cooked, then froze enough food to get me through 2 weeks, which was so helpful so my meals were easy to complete. During the time I was there we had 2 birthday parties, lots of company and people bringing lots of meals for the family. The food looked great, but I never felt the need to even taste it- thanks to hCG .

I must confess that I did remain on the P2 protocol an extra 8 days until P3 was released.

Just as I had done with P2, I also PREPARED, shopped and ordered many of the items that you suggested for P3. The "go to" extras for me have been the Miracle noodles (P2 &P3), Cauliflower or Broccoli rice 2 cups cooked in 2 tsp ghee and seasoned with Turmeric, Paprika, garlic, sea S/P. I always have boiled eggs (P3) in the frig. Also, when I'm hungry, first I drink 8oz water then wait 20 minutes, if still hungry then go to my extras. So far, this has worked vey well. My other helper is Peppermint tea with Chocolate stevia! ( had to be careful with the stevia is P2- stall).

I LOVE all the P3 recipes and meal plans you've created! I have followed each day as suggested and enjoyed all the yummy smoothies for dessert!

Currently, P3, week 2, day 4, my weight has unintentionally decreased from my LIW. Today, I'm down 1.2 lbs and at one point 1.6 lbs. I assume that the 2 pound rule applies from the LIW. I am post-menopausal, and under the care of a Bio-identical Dr. testosterone pellets, estrogen, progesterone and a sluggish thyroid. Prior to hCG, my diet was mostly clean, worked-out 6 days/week. (jog treadmill/PiYo). During P2, a lite work-out caused a stall. So once my weight stabilizes I will return to my work-out routine. I am also taking the Ultra Burn injections which help substantially with energy.

During P2, each morning, I entered my entire day of meals into MFP and then I could adjust my daily meals to meet the caloric and macronutrient allowed, this saved my from ,any "Mistakes"!

Rayzel, love your personality and watching your videos! I simply can't thank you enough for all that you've done to make hCG a success for me! My goal, is to maintain and return to daily workouts as you have personally accomplished!

Sincere gratitude to you,

Lynda"

Lynda's hCG Injection Weight Loss Story in Her Words:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Basics: (age, height, menopause? any medical details you feel are important- ie thyroid etc).

I'm 57 years old, a booboo (grandma), and a nurse. I’m menopausal and on Hormone Replacement Therapy. My thyroid levels are very low but not yet as hypothyroidism.

How much weight have you lost?

I actually wanted to lose 15 lbs, 20 at the most. But I lost 25 lbs.

Tell us how you came to be overweight and your struggles with that?

Being a nurse is a stressful job. You don't get a lot of sleep and you ate at weird times. That set me up for a really bad pattern. I always controlled my weight with diet and exercise.

When I started menopause, I just started packing on pounds. It didn't matter what I did. It was because of the hormones and my thyroid. They were working against me. I was suffering terribly with my bioidenticals. I do the testosterone pellets. I've done a lot of things through the years trying to get the menopause weight off. When nothing worked anymore, I wondered "Am I just going to stay like this forever?"

How did you learn about hCG?

My doctor suggested hCG around Christmas time when I came in for a hormone palette implant. He told me to go directly to him. It was a two-hour drive and I had to come every weekend. The cost was $269 every 2 weeks. I was pretty much accountable to myself and I knew my husband would say no. So I researched and found you. I watched all your Youtube videos, and I thought "Maybe I should look at this a little closer." At the back of my mind, I thought "it's probably going to be another one of those things that don't work..."

The hCG regimen Phase 2 recommended consuming 500 calories. I should confess I tried 500 calories on my own for 2 days (meaning without using hCG). I wanted to rip off my right arm and eat it! So I thought, this was not working.

I researched more about hCG and read that the fat is being released and that you are actually circulating those calories, so that made a lot more sense. And you already did all the legwork to find out which companies are legit, so that was important. To me it was a risk to inject the hormones in. So for me, when I got hCG, I never wanted to cheat. I just wanted it to work for me.

What type of hCG did you use? If injections or prescription drops, what dose worked best for you?

I used the injections because compared to the other forms, I wanted it done and not worry about it the whole day. The needles were tiny.

One of the awesome things you said that the others weren't talking about was about adjusting the dosage to match what you need. I was starving. I can imagine you going, "Adjust it! Adjust it!" I found that by adjusting the dosage I was okay again.

I just followed what you said. I started out at 200 IUs. One day I dropped down 10, then dropped down another thirty IUs. Then I stayed there for quite some time. Then I ended up dropping another ten, down to 150 IUs.

Have you ever used b12 and/or lipo shots, and if so, do you feel it was worth it and why?

On P2, I did the extra, the UltraBurn injections. I personally think it helped with my energy. I lost fast. I didn't see myself nude until I got home from my daughter’s. I thought, “We're done.” I took the Ultra Burn for the energy and for the toning. I didn't want to feel tired.

The Ultra Burn was supposed to help your liver metabolize that fat more efficiently. In theory it does make sense, and it's injected so it's localized.

The Ultra Burn needles are also tiny and if you're not careful you bend it. They recommend you do it on Mondays to Fridays and not on Saturdays and Sundays.

We get up really early, 4:00 - 4:30AM when I was helping with the grandbabies, cooking breakfast and stuff. I had to get a head start, she had four babies. It helps with the energy and helps you stay on it because you're not tired and you're not dreading it.

Did you have any difficulties or challenges on P2?

You talked about cheating and how to correct it. When I got hCG, I never wanted to cheat. I just wanted it to work for me.

There were times I made some mistakes. But that was it, it was just an error. And I would just come back to it and ask myself, "Okay, what did you do wrong, or what do you need to do to correct it?" And it would balance itself out. There were days I lost weight, there were days I gained. And I ended up losing more than I initially thought I was going to lose.

Some strategies from Lynda:

I've had to go out with people in restaurants during P2 and P3. I used to have just coffee. Then I got peppermint tea that's delightful and very robust. And before I got to P3 I got my chocolate stevia and put that in the peppermint tea. I drank that all winter long.

Also while I was on P2 my daughter had a baby. So while I was cooking I was constantly wearing disposable gloves. My grandkids asked, "Booboo, do you have an owwie (ouchy)?" Or my son-in-law, a paramedic asked, "Are you going to shock me?" You have to make it fit into your life. People were bringing in food, we had two birthdays. When my daughter came home, the boys wanted to bake her a cake. I was able to get through P2 without compromising. In P2, it's the simple things. You're cooking for your family and you touch the butter and not thinking about it. So I went through two boxes of gloves.

For Phase 3: I heard this tip for when you were going out to dinner. They did a diet root beer. I get club soda, mineral water, add my root beer stevia, and then add a tablespoon of heavy cream so I have my fat. If you drink that before you go to a get-together. It helps take the hunger away a notch so you don't eat around the table.

Lynda's Experience with:

THE P3TOLIFE PROGRAM DURING PHASE 3 OF THE HCG PROTOCOL

Tell us a bit more before you transitioned to P3. What were/have been your biggest concerns when contemplating going into P3?

When you announced you were going to come up with the P3, I was getting nervous. How am I going to transition? I was getting scared. What am I going to do?

Like you, I was scared and terrified. Plus, I only wanted to do P3 once. This is the first P3 I've ever done and I want to stay that way. I stayed on P2 seven days longer even if you told me not to, and waited for the program to come out because I was terrified. While I was waiting I kept reading all the materials we had, and I kept thinking "It's gonna come out, it's gonna come out..." I was so pleased to be able to get the program, put the food together and just devoured everything.

When it came out, I was at my daughter's because she was having a baby. I was driving when I saw the notification for the tester P3 program. So I pulled over and got the program. I was a bit worried about the cost, but then I saw the price. I was so happy I signed up right away.

How did you find the P3toLife Program?

Coming in to P3, it was awesome because when I would get hungry I always kept some riced veggies and hard boiled eggs, plus my miracle noodles and you can throw it in really fast.

The Simplified Plan is great for somebody who's so busy. I'm not too busy to cook so the Original Plan is great. You made it foolproof. You provided the recipes, you have the shopping list, you have the tools, the suggestions of the products that worked with you. So if you can get through the hCG part, which wasn't so bad, then you're almost guaranteed success if you grab this P3. I didn't really gain weight on P3.

I was so enlightened when I got the P3tolife Program. I was so excited looking through the recipes. I wanted to sit down and eat slow and savor the food. And it's so good. The Mahi-Mahi with Asparagus is really good. As well as the Salmon and Broccoli slaw. You suggested doubling it. You can use it as a lunch crossover. And it's so easy.

Can you share how you prepared for making the meals for Phase 3?

I put the materials on a ring binder, and I take the page I need for the week and post it up. I tell myself I just have to follow it. You've done it and prepared it, so I just follow it and go.

Rayzel: If you design things for everyone, you know everyone has a different metabolic levels. I wanted to make sure you guys have a baseline. Some ask if they have to eat the entire meal prepared. No, you can eat less if you’re full. Sometimes when people come up from P2, they don't need to eat much. After that, your appetite comes back. Some people have higher metabolic levels and are hungrier. In that case, don't eat when you're not hungry. But if you're hungrier, add on. The whole point is that you can eat as much as you can without gaining weight.

Even if I'm retired, I feel for the ladies who are in a working environment. My children are raised, so I have the time to prepare those. If you're working it's alright to plan it for the week and prepare the meals on the weekend. It's so easy to do.

Rayzel: One of my goals is for all of us to try different things and eat a variety. You end up feeling happier long term if there's variety.

How did you adjust your eating on Phase 3?

If I got hungry, I would refer to the rice or the eggs. Thank goodness you suggested miracle noodles. I learned about them years earlier, and I went "Ugh, those sound terrible." But when you suggested it, I ordered some online. I love it. To me, miracle noodles was like cheating when I was on P2. When I was hungry it would give me the feeling of being full. But it helped me so much, also the riced cauliflower and broccoli, even in that phase. So I thought, I must be cheating even though I wasn't. I would panic I would find in my refrigerator I was down to 2 packages, it would take some time for Amazon to deliver.

One of the things you suggested is I can eat the extra portion of breakfast if I get really hungry. One of my favorites is the sun-dried tomatoes, but the bowls. You're busting like 200 calories on that, but if you're really hungry, it works.

Because of that you don't feel deprived and I'm always amazed. I think it's the volume of vegetables we were throwing in.

Yeah, and that was strategic. I'm just a person, maybe it's my DNA and I want to eat a lot. so... You guys, I'm still maintaining. It's been 5 years, but I still eat quite a bit! When I designed it, I knew the food has to have volume! I get panicky if I feel I will not be able to eat as much to feel good. So I thought, okay, I have to make sure everyone feels they have enough. It shouldn’t happen that they're run out and hungry at the end of the day, and there's nothing to eat.

When you threw in those desserts, every one of those are divine! Plus I think, "Oh, I still get to have some smoothie tonight!"

I love your recommendation to make two or four servings. For instance, yesterday we did Buffalo Chicken Salad. I took that with me and ate it, and had it for lunch.

I was trying to pick favorites, but I love the variety of tastes. It made me eat different things. I didn't eat shrimp, or chicken thighs, but now I cook them and I go, "These are pretty good!" Last night, I don't usually eat pork, but I had Pork Cacciatore, that was divine! It was really, really good!

How was your weight after P3?

To be honest the whole time I was on P3, from my last dose weight, I went back to what I lost after Day 6, and I've been under it ever since. I also lost 3 1/2 lbs within that. I'm trying not to lose, it just happened naturally. I've just been eating what you put in.

I took it and that's when I emailed you. Two pounds over and under the Last Injection Weight. I don't want to lose any more. I'm eating what you put down.

Have you encountered any problems while on P3?

The only problem is none of my clothes fit me. I only get to wear my leggings. My size 6 clothes were getting really tight. I now fit into this tiny jeans skirt that's a size 2. This is from the days I taught aerobics. There were times I taught 3 times a day.

I went to PiYo before, it’s a combination of Pilates and yoga. That’s where I want to go back. I tried to walk in P2 and stabilized the weight. I didn’t want to lose too much. I do need to tone up. That’s where I am now.

Fortunately it's easy to accommodate food restrictions. Years past, you can't. If I know I'm having wine, I'll use miracle noodles. I have to rinse them out. It's fishy.

I love the spices. I just got a huge order from Savory Spice Shop.

Also, I love the $7 knife you recommended! Everyone's having a knife in their stocking this year.

Everyone, the knife is in the recommended tools of the P3toLife Program. It's a $7 knife and cuts everything so well. I get wrist pain if I have to slice a lot. The other expensive high end knives are so heavy. These knives are so awesome. Learned it from a Thai cooking class a while back.

I tried to do the Apple peeler core spiralizer. It doesn’t work. The Instant Pot, I don't have yet. Looks like it saves a lot of time.

I cook a lot. I can always get tips from you. But those who don't cook, there it is. This is how you do it. All the meals are easy. Thank God I have a Vitamix.

In the P3 program there’s an allocation in the calories for smoothie that's dessert. It’s sugar-free and it’s for dessert. How was it learning to make the dessert smoothie? What do you think of them?

I tried them all and I love it. I'm not a fan of bananas but with the walnuts... oh my goodness! I've made that 2 or 3 times now. I have a learning curve. It is awesome. First time I did it the same way you did. Mine was icy crunchy. I had to learn that if I do 2 ice cubes at a time, I get this huge bowl of smoothie.

I do it like you say then I add 2 cubes at a time then I press pulse until it sounds like it's smoothing. Then I add two more until I get 7 or 9.

So when you followed the program, you lost a few pounds, it sounds like your weight is fairly stable. Did it gradually go down?

On P3, the first day I have been within 6/10 of a pound.

I can't express how grateful I am to have that. I want to be able that when I'm done, I'm done. I want to be just like you who'll say it's been 5 years down the road since my hCG!

I want to do other things in my life. I don't want to worry about that! Do the work out, eat right, and I'm done. I was so skeptical to start the whole thing and I'm like "Yay!" That's why I'm so grateful to you for bringing the P3, and you've given us the maintenance, the options of adding to, to stay where we are. There's so many recipes in here I don't have to have any more.

I’ve always been a label reader. So many of those protein shakes, spices you just really have to read the labels. It helps people. If you're not aware of the information and you just grab things, you might sabotage what you've been working on so hard. Like, I got this deli meat and I asked if it had sugar. The deli man said there's no sugar. And I asked, can you read the label? And it did have sugar. It's the little things.

When I have the P3tolife foods, I’m just full. It's such a nice feeling. When others do the diet you just feel hungry all the time.

You mentioned to use an app to track yourself. I did that on P2. In the morning I would add everything I was going to have that day. Then later on I could switch things if I'm going over. I didn't have to correct mistakes. I already knew this was what I could have. It wasn't the same with the Fitness Pal, it didn't add up correctly. It was crazy. I used it the other day for tracking breakfast. It should've been only 190 calories but then it says 400 calories! Then you just want to go, forget it, I don't want to do it. It's a total waste of time. It's good for tracking water though and work out time. I'm going to try Calorie King app.

Can you tell me about the volume of the portion sizes, you mentioned in one of your emails the portion sizes were good. Can you tell us more about it?

I wish I had my bowl so I can show you. It was a Buffalo Chicken Salad and it was HUGE. It was two cups of lettuce. My husband will have a meat and maybe a salad or vegetable. Occasionally, a bit of rice. He's eating a little bit and I have this huge plate mounded. And I'm not eating near the fat that he's doing. It's a lot of food and I do like to eat a lot. The amount of food is incredible. Even if I try to weigh it out, I have to get bigger containers because there's so much food to split between containers.

The frittata, it makes four nice pie-shaped servings. And so, yesterday I was gone all day and only ate lunch at 3PM. The frittata with spinach held me all morning long and then I had the Buffalo Chicken Salad. It keeps me satisfied.

And just the variety of food that's in there... My husband says "Wow, that's really good, I'm proud of you for eating this and that." And it really is, and I will just keep cooking this over and over again.

I was afraid of eating because I didn't want to sabotage what I just finished. I appreciate all the food here are laid out, ready to go. And I'll just follow through.

I think it's so doable and it works. You just totally changed it. Maybe like me others need to have hormone tweaking done, I don't know.

You are just like a Fairy Godmother to us.

Getting your body into homeostasis and it works so much better. I'm excited and I appreciate the exercise videos too.

I'd love to talk about how you handled eating out?

Well, last week, my grandson had a baseball game and we took him out after. So my daughter-in-law asked the restaurant staff if it's alright that one of us was on a special diet. Would it be alright to bring the food in? The restaurant said, sure. I wouldn't have eaten if it wasn’t mentioned. I was planning to have just coffee. So we bought the whole meal, desserts. I've done it several times. Usually I have coffee and water, plus I eat before I go. If it's a meal, I just simply ask them. I don't have to say anything except I'm on a special restrictive diet. They don't have to know. I don't really care and it keeps me where I need to be.

If it's a really special restaurant, I would choose not to go there

It's such a short time that you have for yourself.

If you do find yourself in a social event and people want to know, just say I'm on a special diet.