I frequently get people writing to me saying things like, ‘I lost 10 pounds in 10 days, but I haven’t lost a pound for 5 days! What am I doing wrong?’

It is important to keep in mind that The AVERAGE weight loss for most women is about .3 – .5 pounds per day at best. I think the total average can depend on 1) how much weight you have to lose 2) your age, 3) how long you have had the weight on your body, 4) health issues, and other individual factors.

That 10 pounds is going to balance out so that most women’s average weight loss is in the .3 -.5 range. I have seen this in myself and others every time. In other words, if you lose 1 pound per day for 10 days, you will have another 10 days of stalls (not necessarily in consecutive order), so that your average will be about 20 pounds in 40 days. That is a HIGH weight loss. I personally lost 15 pounds in 42 days in my first round. Some people lose a bit more, perhaps 20 pounds, or maybe even 25 if they have a lot of weight to lose.

In the above example, consider that 10 pounds lost in 10 days is amazing! I know how hard it can be when you get excited about losing over a pound a day the first week or so. We all do it the first week or two, but from what I have seen, that quick loss always balances out. I often see people stall around day 12 to day 17 or so.

Remember that the total average weight loss in 40 days (if you are doing a 40 day round) is likely to be about 12-25 pounds total, so of course your weight loss will slow way down if you lose 10 pounds right away.

I think that some of the hype about HCG can be misleading. People get the idea that they should be losing a pound a day everyday, in other words, they think that they will lose 40 pounds in 40 days. In my personal experience, and from what I have read, I do not think that this is the case for most people. I do think that men tend to lose faster than women (dang!) Of course, everyone is different, so it is not possible to predict what your personal HCG journey will be like.

The thing to always keep in mind is that you are still getting smaller, and losing fat, even if your weight isn’t changing. It really is great to take your measurements before you start, and take them again each week, especially during a stall, so that you can see your progress. When you retake them, you will see how much smaller you are getting.

During my last round (a 3 week round), I stalled for 10 days. However, in all 3 rounds that I have completed, I lost a bunch of weight in the last week, and overall, I lost as much as I expected to lose (about .3 – .4 per day).

The best way to stay motivated is to have realistic goals, patience, and TRUST. You will lose the expected amount of weight if you stay on the protocol. It is always important to remember the bigger picture and not get caught up in the scale each day.

I hope that this helps give you some perspective.

~inspired Girl aka Barbara

PS: as you know, I am not a doctor nor an expert in the field, and nothing I write here is ever intended as medical advice. I am just another HCGer who has had some success 🙂