The postman always rings twice.  (Now, that Lana Turner, I bet SHE never had to work very hard to be so skinny.  But I digress.)

Lately, I’m getting more mail than ever, as HcG goes more mainstream.

A lot of the writers compliment me on my openness and my “bravery” for exposing myself here.  (Silly, as one of the earliest HcG adopters in South Florida, it’s the least I can do.)   Some are trying to sell themselves and their HcG products.

And some are people like you and me, asking my advice for staying on course in their HcG journey, and it’s those people who make me think, make me grateful, and get me revved up to exercise, or to exercise the new muscle that lets me say, “no thank you, I’m not hungry” and take a drink of water instead.

Several months ago, I started communicating with a woman named Ar, who, in February 2011 wrote:

Dear HcG Diet Guru – I am currently doing research  on HCG, and want to know if it’s recommended that I  go to a doctor,  There, the HcG package is approx $1000.  I was told that they would provide b12 and a diet pill along with the HcG, and that I needed to get a blood test .

If the above is the case, do you have any leads on recommending a location to go to in New York City ?

Best Regards, Ar

My response, in case you care:

Hi Ar — Here’s what I think, which is just based on what happened to me.

I always suggest that you go to a doctor and just make sure all is okay before starting any diet BUT a lot people are against HcG, so be prepared that someone might try to talk you out of trying it.

The first time I did HcG I went to a holistic doctor, but come to think of it, she never tested me or took my blood, she just basically gave me HcG and coaching.  This was two years ago and no one I knew had ever heard of HcG, which is surprising since my friends and I had tried every diet known to man.  So it was new and worth the money.

Now, in 2011, I don’t think you need a doctor to get HcG and vitamins; they’re easy to get online. I’ve tried a few suppliers, which I will be reviewing in my blog.  There are books that give you all the info you need, and there are coaches available, people who have used it themselves and will support you in your growth.  You can join a group online.  I wrote and video’d and photographed my whole journey, and I am starting again this week, this time with my sister and three friends. It’s a great adventure, and I feel awesome.

I think you can get a good combo of hcg, info and support and I think you won’t need to spend more than $500.  Good luck!

Anyway, we shared some emails and some info, and 6 months later, here’s the update:

Hello Robin,

I did great!  I was 202, now 160-162, maintaining (prgm from March 19-April 29) — would like to lose 10 lbs on my own now.  My worst side effects during the program were gas pain and constipation, but I resolved it.

I’m pretty much still hooked on the meal planning & cooking my meals for the week on Sundays.  This helps tremendously.

So very thoughtful of you to ck up on me ;*),

Thank you Ar!  Score one for the HcG Success Team!

More video to come soon!  Thanks for checking in; please let us know how you’re doing too.