HCG Diet

HCG diet was created by the British doctor A.T. Simeons, author of the book ‘Pounds & Inches’. Within his book, Dr. Simeons exposes in greater detail the theory behind the extremely popular program. What makes the program stand out in comparison to other weight loss programs is the fact that it employs Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). hCG is a special type of hormone, usually present in women at pregnancy.

In pregnant women, the hormone supports the body in the fat burning process, when fat is broken down and used to feed the growing fetus.

3 Main Phases

The Loading Phase – This phase is my personal favorite. Basically, you eat whatever you want for two days!

The Maintenance Phase – This is the phase in which you will really start to see results, provided that you follow the rules. For typically three weeks, a 500 calorie per day rule will be followed. This is a very low calorie level and a lot of people get scared at the thought of extreme hunger. However, Dr. Simeons argues that there is no starvation involved. HCG will help people conquer their food cravings and go through this phase without any struggling.

The Stabilization Phase – Like in other programs, this is a transition phase, in which you progressively switch from a very low calorie level to a higher one. It is designed to allow a come-back to a regular diet, without the dangers of putting-on weight.

The fact that you have quite a freedom in terms of what foods you are allowed to eat, make this diet really interesting for people around. Due to the low calorie limit, you will not be able to eat a lot in the second phase, for example. However, being able to enjoy a variety of foods makes things a little easier. Below you can find a few examples of foods that you can enjoy during the strictest phase, i.e. the second one:

• Beverages: water, coffee, milk, tea
• Vegetables: lettuces, spinach, asparagus, chicory, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage
• Meat / fish: chicken breast, shrimp, veal, crab
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, vinegar, basil, garlic, parsley
• Fruits: oranges, apples, strawberries, grapefruits

This is just a part of the food list you can follow. There is enough variety to prevent getting bored during the three weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Drops vs. Injections?

As mentioned, HCG plays a key role in this eating plan, as it suppresses the appetite and it allows you to maintain such a low calorie intake. The next question to answer is how do you get the it into your body. Initially people used injections and this is still a format that can be used today, for those that prefer it. You can inject it deep into muscles if you know how to do it. Otherwise, a lot of people go to a clinic in order to have this done. If you add the cost of the mixing kits, of syringes, solutions and clinic fees, the expenses can be quite on the high side.

Many dieters prefer therefore a more convenient and cheaper format – the drops. You don’t need to deal with needles and worry about the administration, like in the case of injections. You can put the drops under your tongue and be done with it. You need to be careful when you purchase your drops, though. Due to the fact that the diet has grown to be quite popular, selling products such as drops is a profitable business. This also attracted  a lot of companies which offer drops of questionable quality. Always double-check how reliable the producer is and don’t make your choice based only on price. The cheapest products are not always supplied by legit companies.

Homeopathic Products

Those keeping the diet will have to make a choice between following the original plan as indicated by Dr. Simeons or going the homeopathic way. This choice is triggered by the availability of homeopathic drops. There are quite some debates on weather the homeopathic version is effective or not. From a scientific point of view, if you intend to follow Dr. Simeons’ method by the book, then you need to use products developed accordingly, i.e. containing the hormone. From clinical results point of view, there are also reports that present positive results of those who used just the homeopathic version.

However, opponents to this homeopathic wave argue it is just a Placebo effect. The proponents of the approach argue that they get similar results, without having to intervene in the hormonal balance of the body. In the end, the ones that want to stick to the original approach will buy the classic products. Those more inclined to experiment will give the homeopathic products a try and see how they work for them.

What Are The Side Effects?

Like with any method out there, some people may experience side effects. It is advisable to be careful, monitor the progress and seek medical advice whenever you feel something is not right. This diet is a low calorie one and some common side effects found in such regimens are:

• Light-headedness.
• Headaches.
• Irritability.
• Light water retention.

HCG should facilitate the transition to the low calorie intake. Most dieters reported that the side effects disappeared after a few days. However, if the side effects are persistent, you need to consult with your doctor over the best course of action. Those who chose to use injections may develop:

• Redness and Swelling in the injected area.

This happens usually only in the cases in which the injections were not properly administrated, though. Make sure you know how to administer the injections properly or get qualified professional help. In case you want to totally eliminate this risk, you can use drops instead. Another element to take into account is that it is a hormone and the hormonal system is a very sensitive one. Although there were generally no reports of severe hormonal problems, there were cases of OHSS, i.e. ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome. Among the symptoms of OHSS, patients reported stomach and pelvic pain, swelling and shortness of air. Whenever you experience something that does not feel right, you should seek medical advice right away. It is actually advisable to be under medical supervision. Have blood tests done and a complete medical evaluation before starting and stay in-touch with your doctor while keeping it.

Do I Have To Exercise?

Dr. Simeons recommends only moderate exercising. This includes for example:

Walking, Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, Light biking and so on.

Some people are confused with the fact that intense exercising is not encouraged. It all has to do with the fact that this is a low calorie diet overall and in particular, a low carb one. In order to observe the caloric restriction, you will not be able to eat a lot of carbs. While performing high intensity exercising, the body needs carbs as a source of energy. When you keep a regular diet, your body is using the carbs you eat to produce energy and then it stores the excess glucose as glycogen in the muscles and in the liver. When you start exercising intensely, your body turns to these glycogen stores and starts using them.

However, because you have a low carbs intake, the glycogen reserves are almost inexistent. Therefore, you will start to feel bad if you force your body into intense exercising. Dr. Simeons argues that HCG drives metabolic rate up and that it also facilitates the break-up and use of fat to produce energy. This is good news, as typically when you lose weight, your body starts to break-up part of your muscles in order to use the amino acids as a source of energy.

This leads in time to a lower metabolic rate and weight loss becomes more challenging, while weight gain is often experienced. This is not the case with this program though. You will be able to keep most of your muscle mass intact and achieve your weight loss objectives while doing only light exercises. It is important to respect the body and not force it to eat only low calorie food and go through an intense workout program at the same time.

Vegetarians And Their Options

Normally protein is part of the daily menu and the main source of proteins are meat and fish. In this context, it seems that vegetarians would not be able to keep the diet. This is not quite the case though, as in most cases there are alternative solutions. It depends on what type of vegetarian you are though.

Pescentarians are the ones who avoid meat, but are allowed to eat fish. This is the easy case, as it shouldn’t be any real problem for them at all.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians are the ones that don’t eat both meat and fish. However, they do eat eggs and dairy products. It is still possible to follow the plan, getting your protein from fat-free cottage cheese, fat-free milk and egg whites, which are all on the food list.
Vegans are the ones avoiding all animal products. You can still use soy as a source of proteins and maybe vegan protein powder shakes. However, in this case it seems extremely challenging to get good results.

Who Can Get The Best Results With HCG Diet?

In order to get the best results, a program should be chosen not only based on what is trendy or most effective for other people. It should be a method that suits your lifestyle to some degree. This doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be stretch, but implementing it must be feasible, if you are to succeed. If dieting is a permanent struggle, you will be very tempted to cheat and the results will be less than great.

Remember, your carbs consumption will be very limited. If you are currently eating a lot of carbs, you may consider lowering progressively the carbs share in your diet. This will make it easier for your body to adjust to this new plan. Such step is not compulsory at all, but some people find it useful to take this approach.

Another element to consider is exercising. Dr. Simeons recommends only light exercising. Therefore, if you are currently going for very intense workouts, you need to consider the way to adjust this for the period in which you plan to follow the diet.

Make sure to learn all you can before you start. You can start with Dr. Simeons’ book ‘Pounds & Inches’. If you still need to consult additional resources, you will find plenty of materials online. In terms of products, using injections or drops depends on your personal preference. However, you need to be very careful in choosing a reputable company that produces quality products.

Have you tried this diet? If so, enter your rating and comments below!