What is the HCG diet and how does it work. What foods are allowed on the HCG diet plan. How to create effective HCG diet meal plans. Are there any risks associated with the HCG diet. What are the potential benefits of following an HCG diet.

Understanding the HCG Diet: Principles and Mechanisms

The HCG diet is a controversial weight loss program that combines a very low-calorie diet with hormone treatments. HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced during pregnancy. Proponents of the diet claim that HCG can help suppress hunger and promote rapid fat loss when combined with severe calorie restriction.

How does the HCG diet work? The diet typically involves:

• Daily HCG injections or supplements
• A very low-calorie diet (usually 500-800 calories per day)
• Strict limitations on food choices
• A duration of 3-6 weeks

Is the HCG diet effective for weight loss? While some people report significant short-term weight loss, medical experts are skeptical about the diet’s safety and long-term effectiveness. The extreme calorie restriction, rather than the HCG itself, is likely responsible for any weight loss.

HCG Diet Food List: What Can You Eat?

The HCG diet plan involves a highly restrictive food list. Here are the main categories of allowed foods:

Proteins

• Lean meats: chicken breast, turkey, lean beef
• Fish: sea bass, sole, flounder, halibut, tilapia
• Seafood: shrimp, lobster, crab, oysters
• Eggs and egg whites

Fruits

• Apples
• Berries (limited portions)
• Citrus fruits: oranges, grapefruits, tangerines
• Peaches
• Pears

Vegetables

• Leafy greens: spinach, lettuce, kale
• Cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage
• Low-carb options: cucumber, asparagus, celery
• Tomatoes, peppers, onions

Are there any foods to avoid on the HCG diet? The diet strictly limits fats, sugars, and most carbohydrates. Processed foods, dairy products, and starchy vegetables are generally not allowed.

Creating Effective HCG Diet Meal Plans

Designing meal plans for the HCG diet requires careful consideration of calorie intake and nutritional balance. Here are some tips for creating effective HCG diet meals:

1. Focus on lean proteins and low-calorie vegetables
2. Incorporate allowed fruits in moderation
3. Use herbs and spices for flavor without adding calories
4. Stay hydrated with water, tea, and other approved beverages
5. Consider meal prepping to ensure adherence to the diet

Can you provide sample meal ideas for the HCG diet? Here are a few examples:

• Breakfast: Egg white omelet with spinach and herbs
• Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with asparagus and a small apple
• Dinner: Baked tilapia with steamed broccoli and a side salad
• Snack: Celery sticks with a small portion of berries

HCG Diet Supplements and Products

The HCG diet market offers various products to support the program. These include:

• HCG drops and injections
• Low-calorie protein bars and shakes
• Sugar-free condiments and dressings
• HCG-friendly cookbooks and meal plans

Are HCG supplements necessary for the diet? While proponents claim that HCG is essential for the diet’s effectiveness, there is limited scientific evidence to support this. Many experts suggest that the extreme calorie restriction, not the HCG, is responsible for weight loss on this diet.

Potential Benefits and Risks of the HCG Diet

The HCG diet has garnered both praise and criticism from dieters and health professionals. Understanding the potential benefits and risks is crucial for anyone considering this approach to weight loss.

Potential Benefits

• Rapid initial weight loss
• Structured eating plan
• Potential for breaking unhealthy eating habits

Potential Risks

• Nutrient deficiencies due to severe calorie restriction
• Muscle loss from inadequate protein intake
• Side effects from HCG use, such as headaches or depression
• Difficulty maintaining weight loss long-term

Is the HCG diet safe for everyone? The extreme nature of this diet makes it unsuitable for many people, including pregnant women, individuals with certain medical conditions, and those with a history of eating disorders. It’s crucial to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any drastic diet plan.

Alternatives to the HCG Diet

For those seeking healthier and more sustainable weight loss options, several alternatives to the HCG diet exist:

• Balanced, calorie-controlled eating plans
• Mediterranean diet
• DASH diet
• Intermittent fasting (under medical supervision)
• Plant-based diets

What makes these alternatives potentially better than the HCG diet? These approaches typically offer more balanced nutrition, are less restrictive, and focus on long-term lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes. They also have more substantial scientific backing for their effectiveness and safety.

Expert Opinions and Scientific Evidence

The medical community remains largely skeptical of the HCG diet’s claims and safety. Here’s what experts have to say:

• The FDA has not approved HCG for weight loss and warns against its use for this purpose
• Many studies have found no evidence that HCG is more effective for weight loss than placebo
• Nutritionists warn that the extreme calorie restriction can be dangerous and unsustainable
• Endocrinologists caution against the potential hormonal effects of HCG supplementation

Why do some people still advocate for the HCG diet despite these concerns? Anecdotal success stories and the allure of rapid weight loss continue to attract individuals to this diet. However, it’s important to approach such claims critically and consider the long-term health implications.

Implementing and Modifying the HCG Diet

For those who choose to try the HCG diet despite its controversies, proper implementation is crucial. Here are some guidelines:

1. Consult with a healthcare provider before starting
2. Follow the prescribed calorie and food restrictions carefully
3. Monitor your health closely for any adverse effects
4. Plan for a transition phase after completing the diet
5. Focus on developing sustainable eating habits for long-term health

Can the HCG diet be modified to be safer or more effective? Some practitioners suggest modifying the diet to include more calories (around 800-1000 per day) and a wider variety of nutrient-dense foods. However, these modifications may deviate from the original protocol and its purported mechanisms.

Shopping and Meal Preparation Tips

Success on the HCG diet often depends on careful planning and preparation. Here are some tips to help navigate the restrictions:

• Create a detailed shopping list based on the allowed foods
• Look for lean protein options and fresh produce
• Explore low-calorie seasonings and condiments
• Consider online retailers for specialty HCG-friendly products
• Invest in a food scale to accurately measure portions

How can you ensure nutritional adequacy on such a restrictive diet? While challenging, focusing on nutrient-dense foods within the allowed categories is crucial. Some practitioners recommend vitamin and mineral supplements to help prevent deficiencies, but this should be done under medical supervision.

Addressing Common Challenges

Followers of the HCG diet often face several challenges. Here’s how to address some common issues:

• Hunger: Stay hydrated and use approved low-calorie snacks strategically
• Fatigue: Ensure adequate rest and consider gentle exercise as approved by your healthcare provider
• Social situations: Plan ahead for meals out and communicate your dietary needs to friends and family
• Plateaus: Stay consistent and patient; weight loss may not be linear

Is it normal to experience side effects on the HCG diet? Some individuals report side effects such as headaches, fatigue, or mood changes. While proponents often attribute these to “detoxification,” they may be signs of nutritional imbalances or the body’s stress response to extreme calorie restriction.

Long-Term Considerations

The HCG diet is designed as a short-term intervention, but its impact can extend beyond the diet period. Consider these long-term factors:

• Potential for weight regain after returning to normal eating
• Need for a structured transition plan post-diet
• Importance of developing sustainable eating habits
• Possible metabolic changes from severe calorie restriction

How can you maintain weight loss after completing the HCG diet? Gradually increasing calorie intake while maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise routine is crucial. Many experts recommend focusing on lifestyle changes rather than cyclic dieting for long-term weight management.

The Future of HCG and Weight Loss Research

As the field of nutrition and weight management evolves, researchers continue to explore various approaches to sustainable weight loss. The future of HCG in weight loss remains uncertain, with ongoing debates about its efficacy and safety.

Current areas of research include:

• The role of hormones in appetite regulation and metabolism
• Personalized nutrition based on genetic and metabolic profiles
• Psychological aspects of weight loss and maintenance
• Development of safer and more effective weight loss medications

Will the HCG diet remain popular in the future? While the diet continues to have its proponents, increasing scrutiny from medical professionals and regulatory bodies may impact its popularity. As our understanding of obesity and weight management improves, more evidence-based and sustainable approaches are likely to gain favor.

In conclusion, the HCG diet remains a controversial approach to weight loss. While some individuals report success with the program, the lack of scientific evidence supporting its unique benefits and potential risks associated with extreme calorie restriction raise significant concerns. Those considering the HCG diet should carefully weigh the potential short-term benefits against the long-term health implications and consult with healthcare professionals to explore safer, more sustainable weight loss options.

New Foods for HCG Diet 2021: Dr Lipman

Proteins:

eggs, egg beaters, beef (lean), chicken breast (skinless), white meat turkey, turkey burgers, sea bass, sole, flounder, halibut, grouper, snapper, tilapia, perch, oysters, lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, clams

Lunch meats:

turkey, chicken, ham, and roast beef (baked or oven roasted, no honey, maple or sugar seasoning), Pre-packed in water: white albacore tuna, chicken in packs or cans, Tyson or Perdue Cooked Chicken Strips

Lunch:

4 oz of fish, chicken, turkey (white meat of both), or beef, low-calorie & low-carb wraps and pitas

Dinner:

in addition to lunch selections, there are numerous HCG friendly frozen entrees with low or no carbs like Atkins, etc.,  shirataki noodles, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, cauliflower mashed potato substitute

Bars:

Extend, Atkins, Quest, and Detour brands of high protein low sugar bars. Vegetarian– non dairy bars are also
available, just watch the carbs.  Newer brands include Budda Keto Bars using pea protein and Soon To Go Soft Keto bars with 2 net carbs/bar.

Shakes:

Extend, Pure Protein, EAS Light, Muscle Milk Light, Premier Protein brands of high protein, low sugar shakes (calories 160 or less, 2-3 g sugar or less 10g protein or more)

Fruits:

(3 per day) apples, peaches, all berries (1/2 cup), pear, orange, tangerines, grapefruit (1/2), cantaloupe, nectarine (lime and lemons are free)

Vegetables:

unlimited – spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, asparagus, onions, celery, parsnip, broccoli, radishes, kale, brussel sprouts, green beans, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, dill pickles, bean sprouts, beets, squash(summer squash has limited portions due to high carbs), eggplant, bok choy, pumpkin, leeks, collards, bamboo shoots, sprouts, snow peas

Teas and Beverages:

diet sodas, green tea, black tea, carbonated water, coffee, tea, crystal light, Diet V-8 Splash, PowerAde Zero (no sugar), Silk Brand light vanilla soymilk or unsweetened organic original (6 oz. ), Silk Brand unsweetened Almond Milk (6 oz.), very limited low/no fat cow’s milk (less than ¼ cup), Coffee mate (original), Designer Whey Protein to Go packets

Salad Dressings:

Walden Farms No Calorie/No Fat/No sugar dressings, Light Italian dressing (Wishbone, Kens, or Newman’s Own brand ONLY), very limited olive oil

Condiments and Additives:

one tablespoon of fat free half and half, Equal, Splenda, Stevia, Heinz reduced sugar ketchup, soy, Tabasco, Picante, horseradish, PAM and other no calorie aerosol based cooking sprays, pickles (not sweet), olives (2-3), sugar free salsa, new Erythritol natural substitute sugar.  RAO makes great new marina sauce with only 5 net carbs per 1/2 cup.

Seasonings:

unlimited – lemon, garlic, thyme, parsley, plum vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, basil, pepper, balsamic vinegar, garlic salt

Noodles:

Miracle noodles, Shirataki noodles (usually found in produce section of supermarket – must be kept cold), Birdseye Vegetable pasta and Impastable Pasta

Crackers and Breads:

(3 a day) Melba toasts, grissini bread sticks, Wasa, Finn, Gilda toasts, new products that had their basis in Keto Diet include Zero Carb bagels, Just the Cheese, Zero Carb bread

Cereals: Catalina Crunch makes a new link of HCG and Keto friendly cereals.

Wraps:

(1 replaces 3 crackers) Flat-out Light wrap (a no sugar, no fat, high protein wrap), La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas, (80 calories)—recently added. Best, newest Lo-Carb wrap is OLE Extreme (50 cal- 4     net carbs).

Snacks:

(see food plan for choices, all zero or near zero sugar and low fat) 0 sugar Jell-O & chocolate pudding, no fat cheese, Soy Chips, Walden Farms Spreads, sugar free International Coffees, Murray sugar free cookies, sugar free popsicles, Philly Swirls, no sugar low fat carb control yogurt, Enlightened low sugar ice cream like bars, Halo Top ice cream.

Download the complete food list for the 800 Calorie HCG Diet:  800 Calorie HCG shopping list

What if I Can’t Find HCG Foods in My Area?

We would be surprised if you couldn’t find any HCG foods because most are readily available at any grocery store. This is by design to make it easy for you to stick with the diet. The shopping list gives the best brands, however some might not be available in all parts of the country. If some of these exact products are not available in your area or you have limited selections, don’t worry. You still have many choices!

Amazon.com carries a wide variety of HCG foods, especially the bars, beverages, condiments, and prepared varieties, at very reasonable prices. Check out my Amazon store, where I have found and listed all of the HCG foods for you. If you are an Amazon Prime member or you have signed up for Prime Pantry, you can get your food delivered right to your door in as little as 2 days.

At the supermarket, when you are looking for HCG foods that are not on the list, look at the calories first. The total fat and sugar should each be less than 2-3 grams. When either fat or sugar is slightly greater than 2 grams follow the 2 +2 rule: the sugar and fat added together should be less than 4 grams. If the sugar meets this test, the next test is “net carbs”. Net carbs are the carbs actually absorbed by the body and should be 10 grams or less per portion:

NET CARBS = Total Carbohydrate – Dietary Fiber – Sugar Alcohols – Artificial sweeteners (1 gram or less)

Also, many new HCG foods have come on the market in the last few years – with more arriving every week. These include vegetable-based substitutes for rice, pasta, and potatoes, no carb chips, no sugar cookies, and zero sugar ice cream. You may have to go to Whole Foods for a few of them, but you can find most of them at your local grocery store or on Amazon.

The “NO” Foods in the HCG Plan

Meat and Fish: No salmon, pork, lamb, salami (mixed meats)

Carbs: No bread, starches, sugar, rice, pasta, potatoes

Fruits: No banana, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, mangos, or avocado

Vegetables: No carrots, corn, peas or red or black beans

Oils: Limited olive & cooking oils other than 0 calorie spray oil okay, low fat-low sugar salad dressings

Drinks: No juices, regular sodas, glasses of milk (even low fat because of the high sugar)

Other: No NUTS, seeds, oils, or cheese (except no-fat cheese) No peanut butter or almond butter

What Kind of Snacks Can You Have on the HCG Diet?

When you’re taking the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, you have to severely restrict the calories in your diet. Five hundred calories is the most you can have in a day. Technically, you’re not allowed to have any snacks while you’re following the limited food selections of the hCG diet plan. You can save certain foods from your lunch or dinner meals and eat them later on, however.

Nibble on Crackers

The hCG diet plan allows you to have specific crackers twice a day, with lunch or dinner, or you can save them to enjoy later. You’re allowed to have one grissini breadstick twice a day. These crisps are long, thin crackers, shaped like small breadsticks. Or you can have one Melba toast — a dry thin cracker — two times daily.

Enjoy Fresh Fruit

You can have a small serving of fruit with lunch or dinner meals as well. These fruits can make a perfect midafternoon or late-night snack if you don’t want to eat them with your meals. Snack on a small apple or orange if you need something to eat on the go. You can also indulge in half a grapefruit or a handful of whole strawberries.

Fill Up on Drinks

If you’re tummy starts growling, before you reach for food, have something to drink. That rumbling feeling could just be a sign that you haven’t had enough fluids, not that you’re hungry. The hCG plan includes unlimited amounts of water and plain tea. If you need a little flavor, add in a squeeze of fresh lemon, although you’re only allowed to juice one lemon per day. You’re also allowed to drink as much black coffee as you wish, sweetened with saccharin or sucralose artificial sweeteners. You can add milk to tea or coffee as long as you limit yourself to just 1 tablespoon per day.

Diet Considerations

Advocates of the hCG diet claim that by taking the hormone, your body turns into a fat-burning machine. But the weight loss you may experience most likely stems from the major changes in your diet, not necessarily from the hormone. It generally takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose a pound. So switching from 2,000 calories daily — if this was your normal intake — to just 500 calories means you’ll consume 10,500 calories less a week. That cut in calories alone could make you shed as much as 3 pounds. But you won’t be meeting your fiber, vitamin, mineral, protein, fat or carbohydrate needs on the hCG plan, which can lead to malnourishment. Before you start, check in with your health care provider as a precaution.

hCG Drops Diet Plan to Lose Weight! Is Exercise Required? Side Effects of hCG

How does HCG Help with Reducing Weight?

Simply put, HCG helps dieters lose weight by metabolizing the body’s stored fat during the dieting process. This not only keeps you energized while on a very low calorie diet, but it also helps you lose inches faster than with diet and exercise alone.

There are two types of fat in your body. The first type is visceral fat, which provides short-term energy storage. When you engage in short bursts of activity, you burn visceral fat. The second type is subcutaneous fat, which your body uses for long-term energy storage. Visceral fat is located in the abdomen, situated around your vital organs. Subcutaneous fat is located all over your body. Generally, about 90% of the fat in the human body is subcutaneous. Additionally, women typically have a higher percentage of subcutaneous fat as opposed to men, who typically carry more visceral fat. Regardless of sex, however, this subcutaneous fat is the “stubborn” fat that is hard to lose with diet and exercise. Subcutaneous fat is the same “stored fat” that HCG metabolizes.

 

    Women typically have a higher percentage of subcutaneous fat as opposed to men   
 

HCG metabolizes your subcutaneous fat by communicating with your hypothalamus, a very important part of your brain that regulates most of your metabolic functions such as hunger, thirst, body temperature, fatigue and more. In the case that you are undernourished – that is, you are consuming fewer calories than you are burning – HCG will tell your hypothalamus to metabolize your subcutaneous fat for adequate nourishment. HCG allows your body to retrieve your stored energy by burning that stubborn fat.

The amazing effects of HCG on the hypothalamus were discovered by Dr. Albert T. W. Simeons who observed that malnourished women tend to give birth to health babies with normal birth weights. Dr. Simeons concluded that women are able to do this because the HCG hormone that their bodies naturally produced during pregnancy helped their bodies to metabolize subcutaneous fat. During pregnancy, HCG was able to provide proper nourishment for not only the babies but also the mothers by tapping into the mothers’ stored energy.

Dr. Simeons later used HCG to treat obesity with great success. His methods, which are still used by physicians today, are laid out in his 1954 bookPounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity. We include a copy of Dr. Simeons book in every order, so you can fully understand the science behind the method and ensure the best results possible!

 

    Dr. Albert T. W. Simeons who observed that malnourished women tend to give birth to health babies with normal birth weights.   

 

Are hCG Drops Safe for Weight Loss?

This is a question we hear quite often. The FDA mistakenly states that the HCG diet cannot be safe because it dictates a very low calorie diet of 500 calories per day and that you will become very malnourished.

There are two very important responses to this misinformation:

1) If you choose to diet very aggressively by restricting calorie intake to 500 calories per day you are not “starving” yourself.

The whole concept of the HCG protocol is activating your long term fat stores to provide a supplemental source of calories by efficiently converting fat into glucose.

This released glucose in your bloodstream makes up the calorie deficit. Without HCG, your body would slow its metabolism and block this fat conversion leaving you very malnourished indeed.

    This is the secret to HCG’s power; remember HCG’s role during pregnancy?

2) With Nutra Pure HCG, our formula is so effective that you can take in up to 800-1000 calories per day and still lose weight. You just need to eliminate bad carbs and eat right

The performance of homeopathic HCG has been improved over mother nature (hormonal HCG) with other metabolic enhancements to make it work at higher calorie levels. So don’t worry about the naysayers they typically have never tried HCG nor even looked into its properties.

Exercise is a great way to shed unwanted pounds, relieve stress, and keep you vibrant and healthy. So with all these amazing benefits, is exercise recommended while on the HCG diet? Many experts think not. In fact, rigorous exercise is frowned upon by professionals while on the HCG diet due to many factors. Let’s delve into them to have a better understanding of how the HCG diet works.

Exercise Not Recommended!

Due to the fact that one doesn’t consume as many calories on the HCG diet and most people follow a strict 500 calorie per day diet, strenuous exercise like heavy cardio and lifting weights is discouraged. HCG drops take the stored fat deposits in your body and make them constantly available for your body to use as nourishment and energy. Since a lot of food isn’t going straight into the stomach to be used for fueling the body, there aren’t enough calories to use for energy during an intense workout.

With this diet, the stored fat deposits take a bit of time to break down to be used for energy and if you add working out to the equation, the body will utilize the stored fat as an energy source causing the body to be extremely undernourished. This will make your body incredibly hungry and exhausted all at once.

With added hunger means added food and calories, making it easier to binge on cheat meals and eat more than you should on the HCG diet. Ultimately, this throws the entire diet off balance. The point of the HCG diet is to suppress your hunger while using energy that is already stored as fat, thus helping you shed unwanted pounds quickly.

HCG Diet Phase 2 | HCG meal ideas and diet menu

Phase 2 of the diet starts on the third day. You should wake up feeling like you couldn’t take another bit of food even if you wanted to! You now take your HCG at the time you selected and reference your food list for the amount of time you have chosen to do the diet for. People who need to lose 30 lbs or more may choose to do the diet for the full 40 days. Because most people lose 1- 1.5 pounds a day you want to make sure that you choose a realistic time frame for your diet. Someone who needs to lose 10-15 pounds does not need to do a 40-day protocol. Phase 2 consists of a 500-calorie diet drinking lots of water along the way. Breakfast should consist of your morning coffee or tea sugar is not allowed however stevia or sweet-n-low are good alternatives. With sweet-n-low it is important not to use more then 1 package just because it may contain it little bit more sugar supplements then other alternatives. With coffee 1 tablespoon of milk can be used but only 1 per 24-hour period. For lunch you are to eat a weight of 100 grams of protein each day. On a scale with ounces this may be about 3.4, but it varies with items. When weighing out your foods, make sure that it is indeed raw and unfrozen to get an accurate weight. Protein consists of lean beef, chicken, shrimp, lobster, crab, fish or veal. When using ground beef you want to choose something such as 93/7 or something close, this means that it is 97% lean 7% fat. The less fat the better! Be careful when choosing a fish, there are some sources of fish that are very high in fat such as salmon, catfish, tuna and eel. Tipila however is always a great choice and also very easy to find in almost every market. Make sure that all your meat is stripped of any visible fat. You are allowed 1 vegetable at lunch, which you also need to find from your food list. Some examples are tomatoes (1 whole), lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, cabbages and asparagus.  Most types of lettuce and greens are allowed. One type of bread stick or melba toast goes with every lunch. Both are pretty easy to find in the store but make sure to check the box for any added cheeses or seasonings, plain are always better! Fruits consist of 1 whole apple, ½ a grape fruit or a handful of strawberries, I say about 6. Dinner is the same as lunch 100 grams of protein, 1 veggie, fruit and your bread stick or melba toast. Oils for cooking are not allowed! Click Here To View the HCG Diet Food List

On a lot of the vegetables, the original diet doesn’t seem to come with any instructions as far as quantity goes, you just have to use your best common sense. Most vegetables such as lettuce and greens are fillers, so a salad size is best. You will find that most veggies are very low in calories! Now the original diet does not say you can mix your veggies, but I never saw any change in my diet by making a small salad using 2 or 3 ingredients from the list. Dressing however is very restricted. No oils or high fat or sugar dressing are permitted at anytime. Apple Cider Vinegar, Red or White Vinegars are always good choices. Seasoning, however is another thing most every type or seasoning are ok. Salts, Peppers and spices are never very harmful as long as no sugars exist in their ingredients. Sauces such as mustard, hot sauce, teriyaki, and others that mainly consist of sodium are safe choices. Make sure to read labels! If it has less then 2 grams of sugar its probably safe to use a little for taste, but don’t drown your food in it. Also when your body’s intake of sodium reaches high levels your body reacts by retaining water which could make a difference on the scale, so keep that on mind and be sure not to over season! During phase 2 Cosmetics and moisturizers are also restricted do to your body’s ability to absorb the fats you skin comes in contact with. Stay away from the massage parlor! Getting a massage can be very damaging to your diet! When getting a massage, fat stores are moved around and tissues are adjusted which might interrupt a certain area your body was burning. Just because you’re on a diet, it doesn’t mean you can’t get creative! HCG recipes are a great way to add some fun to your meals! Click here for some great meal ideas!

The hCG Diet May Help You Lose Weight, But at What Cost?

Is the hCG diet a safe, healthy and effective way to drop pounds? Or is it a gimmicky, unhealthy and…

Is the hCG diet a safe, healthy and effective way to drop pounds? Or is it a gimmicky, unhealthy and even unsafe regimen that doesn’t help its followers achieve long-term weight loss? Many experts think poorly of the hCG diet — which combines an extremely low daily calorie intake with ingestion of the hormone hCG — as an effective way to lose weight. “The hCG diet is almost the quintessential fad diet,” says Mike Israetel, chief sports scientist for Renaissance Periodization, which provides online dieting and training templates and coaching. There are no clinical studies suggesting using hCG helps with weight loss.

There are two key components of the hCG diet: One is limiting your intake to 500 to 800 calories a day. The eating regimen emphasizes protein from lean meats, fish and poultry, and calls for low amounts of carbohydrates or milk and modest amounts of vegetables and fruits. The other component is injecting (or getting an injection of) hCG, typically into your thigh, or taking it as an oral drop — either in spray form as a pellet or tablet.

[See: U.S. News’ 40 Best Diets Overall.]

How the hCG Diet Works

The typical hCG diet was outlined in 1954 in the book “Pounds and Inches: A New Approach to Obesity,” by A.T.W. Simeons, who created the diet. Many dietitians promote the importance of eating a healthy breakfast, but under the regimen Simeons developed, there’s no solid food before lunch. If a dieter has breakfast, it typically consists of a cup of black coffee or tea of any size, with no sugar, though calorie-free sweeteners are allowed. If you drink milk, you can have one tablespoon every 24 hours.

In conjunction with the paltry food regimen, the hCG diet calls for daily injections of the hormone; typically, a dieter would inject himself or herself, usually in the thigh. Or, a person on the hCG diet could ingest the hormone by swallowing drops or pills, or take it in spray form.

What You Can Eat on the hCG Diet

Most of the day’s calories come from lunch and dinner, primarily from protein sources. Under the plan, you’d consume 3.5 ounces of lean, fat-free protein at each meal. Recommended protein sources include white fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, extra lean beef, buffalo, scallops, chicken and egg whites, according to hcgdietinfo.net. Fattier choices, such as salmon, tuna, herring and dried or pickled fish, are off-limits. Dieters also need to remove the visible fat from protein sources before boiling or grilling them. It’s OK to substitute an egg or a serving of low-fat cottage cheese for meat on occasion.

One low-calorie vegetable is allowed as part of both lunch and dinner. Recommended veggies include celery, spinach, fennel, cauliflower, chard, onions, beet greens, cucumbers, green salad, mixed greens, cabbage, red radishes, shallots, asparagus, tomatoes and broccoli, according to hcgdietnfo.net. You can have one fruit at lunch and at dinner. HCG-approved fruit includes grapefruits, oranges, apples, lemons, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

As for carbohydrates, people on the hCG diet can have one piece of Melba toast or one breadstick at dinner. Both are allowed because they don’t have fat, sodium or cholesterol and are low in calories. Seasonings such as salt, pepper, sweet basil, parsley and mustard powder are acceptable. Oil (even healthy cooking oils), butter and any type of dressing are not allowed under the diet.

One thing the hCG diet has in common with many other eating regimens is that it doesn’t recommend eating foods with added sugars. Among the food items not allowed under the hCG diet are cookies and chocolates. The plan also doesn’t allow for carbohydrate-rich foods such as muffins, pasta and bagels, with or without cream cheese.

[See: The 10 Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss.]

hCG Shots, Oral Drops, Pellets and Sprays

In conjunction with a low calorie count, the hCG diet also calls for daily drops or injections of the pregnancy hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is found in the urine of pregnant women; during the first trimester, it helps with the secretion of progesterone. The hormone is made by cells formed in the placenta, which nourishes the egg after it’s been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall, says Dr. David Friedman, a clinical nutritionist and board-certified alternative medical practitioner based in Wilmington, North Carolina. He’s the author of “Food Sanity: How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction.” It also supposedly suppresses one’s appetite.

Proponents of the diet say hCG boosts weight loss by “blasting” fat. But introducing more of hCG or any other hormone into your body than what it naturally produces can have serious health repercussions, Israetel says. Though the FDA doesn’t approve of the sale of over-the-counter hCG products for weight loss or any other purpose, all forms of the hormone are available for purchase online. For example, one website offers a four-week hCG injection kit for between $225 and $259 and a six to eight week package for $340 to $399. The website claims you don’t need a prescription from your primary care doctor, but will get one from the medical staff that each company selling the kits employs. Through another website you can order six bottles of hCG drops for $239. The recommended dosage of hCG is 10 drops three times a day or 15 drops twice a day, the website says.

FDA Says hCG Diet Products Are Illegal

In an online consumer update published in November 2011, the Food and Drug Administration said that over-the-counter hCG diet products are illegal and advised consumers not to use them. The FDA update said consumers should steer clear of “homeopathic” over-the-counter hCG oral drops, pellets and sprays. (HCG injections are available by prescription.) “These products are marketed with incredible claims, and people think that if they’re losing weight, hCG must be working,” Elizabeth Miller, who at the time was acting director of the FDA’s Division of Non-Prescription Drugs and Health Fraud, said in the statement. “But the data simply does not support this; any [weight] loss is from the severe calorie restriction. Not from the hCG.” HCG is not approved for OTC sale for any purpose, the consumer update says. The FDA advises consumers who have purchased a homeopathic hCG product for weight loss to stop using it, throw it out and stop following the diet’s instructions. In November 2011, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to seven hCG marketers, advising them that their products were mislabeled under the FDA Act. The letters warned the marketers that it’s unlawful under the FDA Act to make weight-loss claims that aren’t supported by reliable scientific evidence.

Consumers can report harmful effects online to the FDA’s MedWatch program or by calling 1-800-332-1088. Dieters can also report ill effects from the regimen to their health care professional.

Despite the FDA warnings, Dr. Nancy Rahnama, a board-certified internist and bariatric physician in Beverly Hills, California, says she still sees patients who use hCG products. “We discuss the risks associated with the hormone and advise them to stop the medication,” she says. “Anyone who has considered or been prescribed hCG as a form of weight loss should discuss the risks with his or her primary care physician.”

hCG Weight Loss

Though eating such a small amount of calories will likely lead to weight loss, many experts consider the diet plan unhealthy, unsustainable in the long run and unproven. “Two thumbs down,” says Lise Gloede, a registered dietitian based in Arlington, Virginia. “The hCG diet is considered very low calorie, and while you will likely lose weight, it will likely lower your metabolism and throw off the needed skill of listening to your hunger/satiety cues, which are very helpful in long-term weight management.”

Again, there’s no evidence injections, oral drops, tablets or sprays of hCG help promote weight loss, says Michael J. Ormsbee, associate professor in the department of nutrition, food and exercise sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. “This diet has been studied, and there’s really no data to uphold any benefit of hCG,” he says. Ormsbee notes that in 2013, the FTC sued an Arizona man who marketed hCG diet products. The FTC alleged Kevin Wright and his companies falsely claimed the products caused consumers to lose substantial amounts of weight. In December 2014, the FTC announced the cased ended with a settlement in which the defendants agreed to pay $1 million to the FTC to settle the case. Without admitting to the allegations, the defendant also stopped selling hCG products and he and his companies were banned from making similar weight loss claims in the future. Wright was one of the seven marketers the FDA sent warning letters to in 2011.

[See: Here’s What People Eat for Breakfast in 9 Other Countries.]

hCG Diet Dangers

Gloede’s heard of instances in which some people on the hCG diet have passed out or fainted because they were eating an insufficient number of calories, Gloede says. One of the main criticisms of the hCG diet is that it cuts calories too aggressively. Depending on a person’s age, sex, height, weight and level of physical activity, the federal government recommends from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day for adult men. That’s half to about one-quarter of the amount of calories the high end of the hCG diet calls for. “In my opinion, eating just 500 [to 800] calories a day is dangerous. It deprives the body of vital vitamins, minerals and protein,” Friedman says. Eating a restrictive diet can cause gallstone formation, an imbalance of the electrolytes that keep the body’s muscles and hands functioning properly, and an irregular heartbeat, he says. And side effects of hCG include headaches, depression, swelling in the feet and hands, female breasts in men and blood clots. By boosting testosterone production, the hCG hormone can induce muscle mass preservation and muscle building in men who are deficient in that hormone, Rahnama says. That can increase the risks of clotting.

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hCG Stage 3: Maintenance Phase

TIPS TO HELP CONQUER STAGE THREE: MAINTENANCE PHASE

• Meticulously maintain your food journal daily: If there is any trouble stabilizing your new weight we have to have accurate information regarding intake. This will allow us to analyze what is working and what is not. This log will be the only way to correct the problem and go into the rest of your life with a new metabolism.

You are training your new body to maintain your new weight: Eat healthier, look better, and successfully lock in your new weight.

• Eat real, clean food: Fresh fruits and vegetables, natural fats (olive oil, almonds, real cream, regular salad dressings, coconut oil), fresh grain fed meats that you prepare (seafood, pork, beef, chicken, etc.)

• Avoid processed meats (including lunch meats), canned fruits, canned vegetables and packaged meals: Go for raw, frozen and minimally cooked as much as possible.

• Avoid restaurants: Restaurants add starches and sugar to their food. So, after eating out do not be surprised (and don’t panic) if you have gained a couple of pounds. It is most likely due to water retention if you have been strictly following with the no starch/sugar rule.

• Try to include a protein with whatever you are eating throughout your day: For example, if you are having celery as a snack – add some cheese or peanut butter. Same with an apple.

• Avoid foods and drinks that have ingredients you do not recognize or cannot pronounce.

• Continue to drink a lot of water: It is good for you and helps your body function efficiently.

• If you are buying packages of organic nut/fruit mixes to use for snacks, when you get home divide them into servings to store: That way you know exactly how much you have consumed. This will help if you have trouble maintaining weight.

• When picking snacks, pay closer attention to the sugar (other than the natural sugar found in fruits) than the fat: The only time to pick a low-fat option is with dairy (except for yogurt). This is because with dairy the fat has not been replaced with sugar in order it make it non-fat or low-fat.

• If you see your weight creeping up and want to avoid a “steak day,” the following is an option: Drink tons of water throughout the day, skip breakfast, at lunch eat a whole can of water packed tuna, or chicken with mayo on lettuce or celery, have a big portion of protein at dinner with a small salad with regular low sugar dressing. If you cannot skip breakfast, two eggs are allowed. This is not intended to replace the “steak day.” Only to drop some weight when you are getting close to a required “steak day.” It will usually, bring your weight down a pound or so the next day.

• Many, many recipes can be adapted to fit into Stage Three by replacing the called for sugar with Stevia: There are countless resources for low carbohydrate/sugar-free recipes, which should meet the criteria for the maintenance phase.

HCG Diet Resource | HCG Diet Information | HCG Diet FAQ

Diet Resources

Following the HCG Diet Plan on a Busy Schedule We get a lot of inquiries from people who say they might be too busy to follow the official HCG diet plan to the letter T. This is quite normal and understandable.Read more…

Official HCG Diet Plan Phase 1 This is like the initation phase of your HCG diet. The main difference between your normal eating habits and Phase 1 of the HCG diet plan is that you take the HCG drops under your tongue in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Place 10 small HCG droplets under your tongue three times a day, and leave them there for 15 seconds or so before swallowing.Read more…

Official HCG Diet Plan Phase 2 Phase 2 begins on day three of the HCG diet plan. You’re still taking ten small droplets under the tongue three times a day and letting them soak in before swallowing.Read more…

Official HCG Diet Plan Phase 3 Phase 3 of the HCG diet plan sees you wrap up your 500-calorie, restricted diet. You need to be on the HCG drops for at least 21 days to totally reset your hypothalamus.Read more…

Dr. Simeons’ Lifelong Cure for Obesity There seems to be a belief by some that the HCG diet we hear so much about these days is one of those crazy new fads, and that it is either dangerous or too good to be true. Which is it?Read more…

HCG Diet Recipes The review site HCGDIETQA has called the Official HCG Diet Plan ‘the perfect choice.’Read more…

Official HCG Diet Plan Endorsed by HCG Review Site Put the yum in your HCG diet plan with tasty dishes like breaded tilapia, bunless burgers, meat kabobs and ginger chicken.Read more…

HCG Diet Success Tips It sounds obvious, but it’s the most basic and most important diet tip we can give you: Don’t stray from your 500-calories-a-day plan.Read more…

When Can I Restart If I Want to Lose More Weight? After shedding your first round of pounds and entering Phase 3, when can you start the official HCG diet plan again?Read more…

Drinking Beer on the HCG Diet Plan It’s not unnatural to want a beer now and again. It matches well with protein dishes and is refreshing on a hot day. Plus, you may find yourself at a sporting event where beer is flowing freely. But can you, or should you, drink beer on the HCG diet plan? Read more…

Drinking Wine on the HCG Diet Plan While stereotypically drinking beer might equate to a night out with the boys or enjoying a sporting event in person or among friends in front of a TV, nothing says fine dining more than drinking wine with a meal.Read more…

Surviving the Holidays on the HCG Diet If you’re going to do the HCG diet during the holidays, stick to it, or wait until after the holidays are over.Read more…

What Are Loading Days on the HCG Diet Plan? Loading days represent Phase 1 of the official HCG diet plan. You start your HCG diet drops, but you eat like a pig. Sounds good, huh?Read more…

What Can I Drink on the HCG Diet Plan? People starting out on the official HCG diet plan naturally want to know what they can and cannot drink. After all, most of us are used to our fill of smoothies, fruit drinks, exotic coffee mixes, beer, wine, sodas–you name it. Read more…

What If I Miss a Day of Taking the HCG Diet Drops? It might happen at times, perhaps on a short business trip or a visit to friends or relatives, that you might miss a day of taking the HCG diet drops. Is this a problem?Read more…

What Should I Do If I Cheat on the HCG Diet Plan? People on the official HCG diet plan often ask us, “What should I do if I cheat?” Presumably, they mean they caved and pigged out or ate some foods that the HCG diet says to avoid.Read more…

Why Can I Eat Only Certain Foods? The food restrictions in the official HCG diet plan go back to Dr. A.T.W. Simeons and his research on the human digestive and metabolic systems. His fascinating book entitled Pounds and Inches offers penetrating insight into why obesity is a disorder born of modern civilization.Read more…

Why Official HCG Diet Plan Does Not Auto-Renew Ever notice how many health and beauty product sites will offer incredible deals up front—from free products to free shipping and everything in between—but then they gloss over the fine print that they’re recording your credit card information to refill your order each month whether you want it or not.Read more…

Can I Drink Alcohol on the HCG Diet? Alcohol provides empty calories, but also a quick fix to hunger, as Dr. A.T.W. Simeons observed when he developed the HCG diet drops regimen for weight loss. The HCG diet pioneer saw sweets and alcohol as quick fixes for hunger.Read more…

Can Vegetarians Use the HCG Diet Plan? Vegetarians desiring to use the official hcg diet plan to lose weight will find that it works just as well for them, but there are a few modifications and additions to what would be considered a strict vegetarian diet.Read more…

Constipation and the HCG Diet People on the HCG diet plan sometimes report that they experience constipation. As Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, developer of the HCG diet, observed, constipation is fairly normal among overweight people.Read more…

Cosmetics Usage on the HCG Diet Plan Most women find it hard to believe that fats, oils, creams and ointments applied to the skin are absorbed and interfere with weight reduction by HCG just as if they had been eaten.Read more…

Eating Out or Traveling on the HCG Diet Plan For some people, their social lives tend to revolve around food. When you meet up with friends, maybe you go out for dinner, drinks, or coffee.Read more…

Exercising While on the HCG Diet Plan For some people, their social lives tend to revolve around food. When you meet up with friends, maybe you go out for dinner, drinks, or coffee.Read more…

Miracle Noodles on the HCG Diet Sometimes it is hard to find foods that you can eat while on the HCG diet. No carbs, no fats, and no oils can sometimes feel restrictive. While on the HCG diet, you’re not allowed to have things you probably used to eat a lot of, such as dairy, fats, and pasta.Read more…

Miracle Noodles on the HCG Diet Sometimes it is hard to find foods that you can eat while on the HCG diet. No carbs, no fats, and no oils can sometimes feel restrictive. While on the HCG diet, you’re not allowed to have things you probably used to eat a lot of, such as dairy, fats, and pasta.Read more…

Body Cleanse and Detox Before the HCG Diet? Though not necessary, a body cleansing or detox before the HCG diet might help with initial weight loss.Read more…

Breastfeeding and the HCG Diet Consult a doctor before beginning the HCG diet if you’re pregnant.Read more…

Protein Shakes and the HCG Diet Plan Sugar-free, low-carb protein drinks are acceptable on the official HCG diet plan.Read more…

Steak Day on the HCG Diet A steak day on the HCG diet plan is a day to gain control of the diet process after indulging and gaining extra weight.Read more…

How to Deal with Hunger and Cravings A steak day on the HCG diet plan is a day to gain control of the diet process after indulging and gaining extra weight.If you’re getting too hungry on the HCG diet, check that you’re not exercising too much or taking the wrong dose of HCG drops.Read more…

Apple Day on the HCG Diet When you reach a plateau and stop losing weight on the HCG diet plan, you go on an apple day and eat nothing but six apples.Read more…

Foods to Avoid on the HCG Diet While on the HCG diet, you must avoid all sugary and starchy foods and consume a gallon of water a day.Read more…

Eggs on the HCG DietGenerally, it’s fine to consume one or two eggs a week on the HCG diet, but watch if they stall your weight loss.Read more…

American Beef and Dr. Simeons’ Beef Did you know that just like people, different domesticated animals in different parts of the world suffer from weight issues? It’s true! And can you guess which country has some of the fattiest beef? That’s right, the U.S.A.Read more…

The Libido and the HCG Diet It’s not unusual for women to experience an increase in their libido while on the official HCG diet plan, but this is nothing to be concerned about.Read more…

Getting a Massage While on the HCG Diet Plan If you get a massage, you are disturbing the careful tissue reconstructions that are happening under your skin. Also, sometimes deep massages can produce scar tissue under the skin.Read more…

Melba Toast on the HCG Diet Plan Two starches are allowed on the official HCG diet plan: melba toast and grissini, but only two servings total each day.Read more…

Missing a Day of Taking Your HCG Diet Drops It’s okay to miss one day of taking the HCG diet drops; they’ll remain in your system. Just start back up the next morning, and you’ll be fine.Read more…

Mixing Vegetables on the HCG Diet Plan It may sound like a minor point, but it is not a good idea to mix vegetables at one meal sitting while on the official HCG diet plan.Read more…

Reaching Plateaus on the HCG Diet If you reach a plateau and suddenly the weight loss stops, then it’s time to go on what’s called the “apple day,” during which you consume only apples to reset your system and resume weight loss.Read more…

Snacking on the HCG Diet Obviously, things are different when you’re consuming only 500 calories a day of a restricted food constellation, so one’s old snacking habits, such as reaching for a sweet between meals, must go out the window.Read more…

Stevia as a Sweetener on the HCG Diet Plan Stevia, a natural substance made from herbs, contains no calories or sugar and is perfectly fine to use while on the HCG diet.Read more…

What’s a Plateau? A plateau signals a point at which you’ve stopped your weight loss momentarily, but there are steps to take to get back on track.Read more…

What If I Get Hungry Even though 500 calories a day doesn’t sound like much, once you start taking the HCG diet drops, your hungry will recede.Read more…

Keeping the Weight Off If you complete the HCG diet and get to your goal weight, you’ll probably end up having some naturally modified eating habits. Fatty foods may no longer taste as good to you.Read more…

Does the HCG Diet Cure Diabetes? First, there is no cure for diabetes. Any positive results from the HCG diet in regards to diabetes could be purely coincidental and obviously cannot be guaranteed.That being said, some patients with type 2 diabetes have found that after completing the HCG diet, their diabetes has been far more manageable.Read more…

Gorging Smartly During Phase 1 See, there are 3 kinds of fat. One is excess fat, the other is fat that has been stored long-term, and the third is called structural fat. This fat is vital, and it pads organs and protects arteries. You shouldn’t lose this fat!Read more…

Vegans and the HCG Diet Since vegans don’t eat anything derived from animals, the only problem they’ll face is how to get their protein intake on the diet. There is a product called pea protein.Read more…

Is It Healthy to Lose 1 to 2 Pounds a Day? Many doctors tell us that weight loss is a gradual thing. This is true if your diet consists of eating healthy and exercising. On other diets, losing too much weight at once can be detrimental to your health, as your body would be losing weight from muscles and bones as well as fat.Read more…

Cosmetics on HCG Don’t use any items containing lanolin. A good place to find personal hygiene products is a health food store. Many times, these places will carry items made only with all natural ingredients. Also, try looking for items that contain coconut oil.Read more…

Coconut Oil on the HCG Diet Plan While the HCG diet protocol states that no oil of any kind should be used while on the HCG diet, some doctors are recommending this one kind of oil. It’s good for everything from dry skin to more serious ailments, and is used in some cosmetics.Read more…

Chewing Gum on the HCG Diet It is possible to find gum made with Stevia, which would be an HCG diet-approved gum.Read more…

Restarting the HCG Diet After a Break If your break from the HCG diet is going to last from 4-14 days, then you may pick up right where you left off. Simply get up in the morning and take your HCG drops as you normally would. Eat according to the Dr. Simeons protocol.Read more…

Body Sculpting with the Official HCG Diet Plan Since the HGC will be burning unneeded (and unwanted!) body fat, the Official HCG Diet Plan is a perfect way to get rid of excess abdominal, hip, thigh and other unsightly fat accumulations.Read more…

Pitfalls to Avoid, Such as Substituting Foods HCG dieters can fall into some traps along the way if they’re not careful. One such trap would be not taking the HCG diet drops as specified. Another would be not consuming enough water.Read more…

Dr. Simeons’s ‘Pounds and Inches’ Earns Rave Reviews Dr. A.T.W. Simeons’ seminal work on the HCG diet entitled Pounds and Inches first appeared about half a century ago, but with a resurgence in interest in the HCG diet — along with hundreds of thousands who are following it — the book has enjoyed a resurgence, and one critic raves about it, calling the HCG diet itself “a revolutionary concept.” Read more…

Dr. Simeons and the Three Causes of Obesity Dr. A.T.W. Simeons’ studied obesity most of his working career, and in his work Pounds and Inches he described what he found to be the three causes of being overweight, all of which can be conquered with the HCG diet plan.Read more…

Tips for Shredding Those Stubborn Last Few Pounds People who have experience with the HCG diet also have some other recommendations to optimize your weight loss. For instance, some people recommend choosing grapefruit as your fruit option at least one time per day. Dieters who do this daily report a gain in their weight loss speed.Read more…

Tips for Maintaining Your Weight Loss After Going Off the HCG Diet Drops What, then, are the proper eating habits to maintain your weight loss after finishing the HCG diet drops regimen? Here are some tips, consisting of a lot of do’s and don’ts that are carried over from Phase 1 and Phase 2.Read more…

What’s the Difference Between a Plateau and HCG Immunity? If your weight remains steady with no loss for five or six days, this could be labeled a plateau, but again, its apple time. An immunity, if one should develop, will exhibit additional symptoms such as sudden hunger pangs like you haven’t experienced before; plus you’ll develop an extreme feeling of weakness.Read more…

The Recent Harvard Diet Study and the Official HCG Diet Plan Today, in following the scientific findings of Dr. Simeons, we at the Official HCG Diet Plan rely on the same food choices that both Dr. Simeons and the Harvard study confirmed, but like Dr. Simeons’ approach, we also supercharge the weight loss with the addition of HCG, this time in the form of HCG diet drops , which in Dr. Simeons’ time had yet to be synthesized. Read more…

8 Missteps That Can Retard Your Weight Loss Seemingly innocuous actions can actually slow or retard your progress toward losing weight on the Official HCG Diet Plan. Here we detail eight basic missteps to avoid.Read more…

Reset Your Taste Buds With the Official HCG Diet Plan The bad rap about almost every diet is that, once it’s over, all those natural compulsions spring forth, and the dieter returns to his or her former (bad) eating habits, and the pounds pack right back on.Read more…

Seven Causes of Weight Gain and the HCG Cure We all live in a fast-paced, stress-filled world, one in which time is at a premium, so we’re all prone to leading life-styles that can also lead to weight gain. Sometimes that weight gain can feel almost unstoppable, and we’re not sure where to begin to get back to our “normal” weights.Read more…

What Losing Just 20 Pounds Can Mean for Your Health If you feel you’ve gained too much weight, or you just know that you weigh more than you should, the first thing to do is check your BMI (body mass index). This can be a startling revelation, as a number greater than 30 means you’ve packed on enough fat that you’re now considered obese.Read more…

Yo-Yo Dieting Doesn’t Prevent Permanent Weight Loss A common belief holds that yo-yo dieting builds up diet-resistant fat that is nearly impossible for future efforts to shed. Many people also believe that yo-yo dieting wreaks havoc on one’s organs and overall health A study has found that both are untrue assumptions.Read more…

Cholesterol Control Through HCG Dieting and Weight Loss Because you’re eliminating the sources of high cholesterol and high triglycerides by adhering to the Official HCG Diet Plan, it’s only natural that your levels of cholesterol and trigylcerides will fall to optimal levels — or better — in short order as you start losing weight.Read more…

90,000 hCG diet. Why should it be avoided?

Experts believe that a healthy way to lose weight is through gradual lifestyle and nutritional changes: choose healthy foods, watch your portion sizes, and exercise for 30 minutes every day. However, many people want to lose weight quickly by opting for high-speed, not-so-healthy diets. So, has recently become a popular high-speed hCG diet. Is it really effective? How does it work? And most importantly – why the hCG diet is considered hazardous to health, we will tell you in this article.

Some interesting data

According to the WHO, 38% of people around the world suffer from excess weight, in Ukraine this number is close to 50%! As you know, being overweight negatively affects health, provoking diabetes, heart disease and other problems. Therefore, many seek to lose weight, spending time and resources on it.

So, according to statistics, about 114 million people spend more than $ 60 billion on weight loss products annually. At the same time, for the sake of their goal, they agree to adhere to various diets, which can even harm the body.It should be understood that not all methods are good for health, and the HCG diet is one of them.

Therefore, in today’s article, we will reveal the whole truth about the HCG diet , answer exciting questions, and tell you why it should be “avoided”.

What is the HCG diet?

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or HCG, is a hormone produced during pregnancy to help a baby grow. It has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes for decades, but more recently it has become the centerpiece of the HCG diet.According to its creators, it can be used in drops, injections or pills to curb appetite and reduce weight.

hCG diet is built on the principle of setting restrictions on the number of calories and controlling the level of the hCG hormone . During this diet, biologically active additives must be used, which create an imitation of the effects of the same hormone.

The main task of the hCG diet is to control metabolism. This is one of the features that forms the basis of the proposed diet.It is divided into 4 phases:

• 1.2 day a girl can eat whatever she wants;
• for the next 20 days, it is necessary to take supplements or hCG preparations and at the same time critically reduce the diet;
• for the next 20 days, you should stop hCG supplements and continue to eat 500 kcal per day;
• then you need to smoothly switch to the usual diet for 3 weeks. That is, a person should eat in limited quantities and at the same time use various hCG supplements.

The instructions for hCG preparations say that in 3 weeks of the diet can lose from 3 to 5 kg of weight . It also notes that the diet will lead to surprising results, which are quite controversial:

• increase in energy;
• healthy weight loss;
• improved metabolism;
• maintaining the integrity of the muscles;
• improves hormonal balance;
• hunger disappears;
• improves endurance;

90,029 people feel full of energy during the day.

Interestingly, in America, nutritionists have paid attention to this diet and have conducted many studies that have shown that hCG does not help people who are overweight or obese lose extra pounds. So why do people lose weight on the hCG diet? Doctors say it’s not about hCG. People are losing weight as they only eat 500 calories a day.

What is on the HCG diet?

It turns out a little. It’s called the 500-calorie diet for good reason. The main principle of this diet is that needs to eat only 500 calories per day .(To give you an idea, the average active adult woman needs to eat 2,200 to 2,400 calories a day. And that’s the National Institutes of Health data!)

These 500 calories are limited to certain types of animal protein: chicken breast, beef, veal, fresh food. White fish, crabs, lobster or shrimp are also allowed, as well as some vegetables, fruits and cereals. Oils are strictly prohibited on this diet, even if they are good for the body, such as avocado oil.

Why don’t people on hCG diet feel hungry?

People on the HCG diet say they don’t feel hungry. If it doesn’t work, how can it be? It turns out that when it comes to hunger, people are highly suggestible. You probably weren’t hungry at all earlier this week, until someone started talking about your favorite food, or you lost your appetite at the sight of an ugly meal. This also occurs when you have just started to “sit” on this diet and still do not feel much hunger.When we want to believe that an injection, be it sea water or hormones, will relieve our hunger, our hunger sometimes does go away (placebo effect).

Are HCG drops legal?

No. The hCG hormone has never been approved for use in products that are sold directly to consumers and are illegal.

Do the recommended supplements during this diet contain hCG?

Virtually none of the hCG diet supplements contain the hCG hormone.Even if the hCG hormone or the hCG diet really curbs your appetite, you need a doctor and a prescription to get real hCG. In fact, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) clearly states that “HCG is not approved for over-the-counter sale for any purpose,” and HCG products are illegal.

Most over-the-counter supplements are labeled “homeopathic”, which means they are substitutes or similar to the real product, but not the original.

Is the hCG diet effective?

This diet does not help you lose weight. Many studies have shown that if you eat only 500 calories per day, you will gain even more weight after it ends.

It turns out that these fast diets do not lead to long-term weight loss and after a year you will be back in shape, and if you moderately reduced the number of calories and increased physical activity, then the result in a year would pleasantly surprise you.It is the smooth weight loss that helps to maintain the results in weight loss.

Why do doctors not recommend the hCG diet?

HCG diet is dangerous for the body. Common sense tells us that fasting is not a very good thing for our body. In fact, scientists have proven this too.

If you only consume 500 calories a day, there is a serious health risk. The Centers for Disease Control has already investigated over a dozen deaths associated with these low-calorie diets back in the 1970s.Of course, death after a hCG diet is unlikely, but serious health problems can arise.

Does the HCG diet have side effects?

Definitely, YES. In addition to hunger, illegal injections and hCG pills can lead to headaches, fatigue and increased irritability . Hair loss, constipation, and gallstones can also occur – a rather painful condition that often requires surgery.

Has there been any research that can confirm the effectiveness of the HCG diet?

There are no clinical trials or rigorous studies to support an HCG diet.It’s just that nutritionists have not found any scientifically based evidence that the HCG diet works or that the hormone should be used as a weight loss tool.

In fact, it is more commonly used safely to treat fertility problems as it is produced by the placenta during pregnancy.

People believe that if they are losing weight, HCG should work. But all the studies just don’t support this – any weight loss is due to tight calorie restriction.But not because of hCG.

The story of an eyewitness

A few years ago, a Colorado resident was paid a hefty amount by a diet pill company to use his image in its advertisements. This person is involved in professional sports. At that time, he was preparing for the competition and the company paid him to take photos in good shape. This was the “after” photo. They then asked him to gain weight and take a photo for the company that they would submit as “before” using the pills.And the men were seized by doubt and he decided to publicly tell about this story, remaining anonymous.

This cheating of people has been a common practice in the nutritional supplement industry for a long time. Therefore, do not pay attention to the packaging and advertising of drugs. If, nevertheless, it attracted your attention, then first it is worthwhile to figure it out and study how beneficial it will be for the body. The same applies to the hCG diet, which we do not recommend following.

Better to choose a nutritious diet and exercise regularly.If you lose weight in the traditional way, you are much more likely to maintain the new weight permanently without losing your health. After that, your body will only say “Thank you” to you.

90,000 What is the hCG diet and how is it carried out? Sample Menu for the HCG Diet

The HCG Diet is a diet that has remained popular over the years. It is claimed to cause rapid weight loss of up to 1-2 pounds per day when used rigorously and in accordance with regulations.

Moreover, it is argued that you will not feel hungry during this process.

However, some medical institutions, HCG diet He describes this as a dangerous diet that should not be followed.

HCG diet What you need to know is described in an article within the framework of scientific research.

What is HCG?

hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is found in high levels in early pregnancy.This hormone is used as a marker in home pregnancy tests.

HCG is used to treat fertility problems in both men and women.

But an increased level of hCG in the blood; It can be a symptom of several types of cancer, including cancer of the placenta, ovary, and testicles.

British physician Albert Simeons first proposed HCG as a weight loss aid in 1954. The diet recommended by the doctor consisted of two main components:

– Very low calorie diet – less than 500 calories per day.

– The hCG hormone is administered by injection.

HCG products are sold today in various forms such as oral drops, pills and sprays.

What does hCG do in the body?

HCG is a protein-based hormone that is produced during pregnancy. HCG basically means that a woman is pregnant with her body.

The hCG hormone helps to establish and maintain pregnancy in the first trimester. It helps the development and placement of the embryos.

It also helps the baby’s organs to grow and differentiate, and suppresses the contractions of the mother’s myometrium to prevent premature termination of pregnancy. HCG also promotes the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) in the baby and regulates immune tolerance.

HCG also helps support the production of important hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, which are essential for the development of the embryo and fetus.

After the first three months of pregnancy, the level of hCG in the blood drops.

Does the HCG diet help you lose weight?

HCG Diet Proponents claim that it speeds up the metabolism and helps to get rid of large amounts of fat.

In one study, scientists used hCG, vitamins, probiotics, etc. They experimented with diets as well as supplements such as. The lipid profile of each patient was assessed. The scientists found that the patients had decreased fat mass and improved their lipid profile.

Various theories try to explain the mechanism underlying hCG and weight loss. However, numerous studies, hCG diet He concluded that the weight loss achieved with the drug was associated only with a very low calorie diet and had absolutely nothing to do with the hCG hormone.

These studies compared the effects of hCG and placebo injections in people on a calorie-restricted diet.

It was found that the weight loss between the two groups was almost the same.What’s more, it has been found that the hormone hCG does not significantly reduce hunger.

There is no other scientific evidence showing similar results. In fact, following a low-calorie diet for too long can have adverse effects.

That is, the body will go into “starvation mode” and begin to store calories in the form of fat. This, in turn, can cause an increase in fat mass.

Loss of muscle mass is a common side effect of weight loss and severely limits calorie intake. hCG diet Often found in diets such as. This can make the body think it is starving and reduce the number of calories it burns to conserve energy.

Does the HCG diet improve body composition?

A common side effect of losing weight is a decrease in muscle mass. This is especially the hCG diet This is a common occurrence in diets that severely restrict calorie intake. The body thinks it is starving and can reduce the calories it burns to conserve energy.

However, HCG Diet Proponents argue that it promotes weight loss through fat loss rather than muscle loss.

They claim that hCG boosts other hormones, speeds up metabolism and makes it a growth-promoting (anabolic) state.

However, there is no scientific research available to support these claims.

If you are on a low-calorie diet, you can do it in many other ways without taking HCG to prevent muscle loss and slow metabolism.

Lifting weights is the most effective strategy. Plus, eating a lot of high protein foods and taking periodic breaks in your diet can also boost your metabolism.

How does the HCG diet work?

HCG Diet This is a very low fat and very low calorie diet. It is usually divided into three stages:

Loading stage

Start taking HCG and eat a lot of high-calorie fatty foods for 2 days.

Weight Loss Phase

Continue to take HCG and consume only 3 calories per day for 6-500 weeks.

Maintenance phase

Stop taking HCG. Increase your food intake gradually, but avoid sugar and starch for 3 weeks.

For people who need to lose less weight during the weight loss phase, this phase is recommended for 3 weeks. Those who need to lose a lot of weight are advised to follow the diet for 6 weeks and even repeat the cycle (all phases).

Loading stage

90 + 128 glass of 428 boiled eggs

FOOD	WHAT IS
Breakfast (08:00)
Lunch (12:30)	1 cup of tuna or mushroom salad
Afternoon snack (4:00 pm)	10 peanuts + 1 cup green tea
Dinner (19:00)	1 medium bowl of lentil soup + 1 glass of grilled vegetables

Slimming phase (500 calories)

28 9000 )

FOOD	WHAT TO EAT	1 boiled egg + 1 glass of green tea
Lunch (12:30)	1 glass of lentil soup
Dinner (19:00)	½ cups of boiled beans + 1 cup of greens

Service phase

Breakfast 1 cup of black coffee or green tea

FOOD	WHAT IS
Lunch (12:30)	1 bowl of salad or soup + 1 cup of cottage cheese
Afternoon snack (4:00 pm)	1 cup of green tea + 1 biscuit
Dinner (19:00)	Grilled chicken + 1 glass of vegetables + 1 glass of warm milk

What is on the HCG diet?

vegetables

Vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, radishes, carrots, beets, arugula, Swiss chard, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, courgettes, eggplants.

Fruit

Fruits such as apple, banana, avocado, pineapple, watermelon, melon, peach, pear, plum, pomegranate, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine and orange.

Protein

Eggs, salmon, turkey, tuna, haddock, mackerel, tofu, soy and legumes.

cereals

Red rice, black rice, brown rice, oats and cracked wheat.

milk

Milk and buttermilk.

oils

Olive oil, avocado oil and fish oil.

Nuts and seeds

Almonds, flax seeds, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seeds.

Herbs and spices

Coriander, cumin, garlic powder, ginger powder, pepper, turmeric, chili, cloves, cardamom, basil, thyme, dill, fennel, star anise, cinnamon, saffron, mint and mustard …

What should not be eaten on the HCG diet?

Vegetables – White potatoes

Fruit – Mango, sapodilla and jackfruit.

Proteins – Red meat

Flakes – White rice.

Dairy products – Cheese, butter and margarine.

Fats – Vegetable oil, hazelnut oil, hemp seed oil and canola oil.

Unhealthy food – Processed meat, fries, fried chicken, ketchup, mayonnaise, chips, waffles, cakes, pastries and bread.

Drinks – Energy drinks, packaged fruit and vegetable juices and alcohol.

Most products do not contain HCG

Most HCG products on the market today are actually “homeopathic”. This means that they do not have hCG in the literal sense of the word.

Real hCG is approved for injectable infertility. It is only available with a doctor’s prescription.

Safety and side effects of the HCG diet

HCG is not approved for weight loss by agencies such as the FDA.On the contrary, the safety of hCG products is questioned as their ingredients are unregulated and unknown.

hCG diet A number of side effects are also associated with this, such as:

– headache

– fatigue

– depression

Breast augmentation in men

– Cancer risk

Edema

Blood clot formation leads to blockage of blood vessels

– Irritability

This is largely due to the very low calorie intake, which makes most people feel tired and weak.

Also, in one case where a 64-year-old woman had a blood clot in her leg and lungs. hCG diet introduced. It was concluded that the formation of the clot was likely due to diet.

The diet may work, but only because you are eating very few calories.

HCG Diet makes it an extremely restricted weight loss diet, limiting calorie intake to around 500 calories per day for several weeks. Any low-calorie diet will make you lose weight anyway.

However, numerous studies have shown that the hormone hCG does not affect weight loss and does not reduce appetite.

If you are serious about losing weight and want to keep it going, then HCG diet There are much more effective methods than.

hCG diet: expensive, but it helps! | HOCHU.UA

Diets are not scientifically credible
points of view not approved by the FDA
products and drugs, but nevertheless cost
fabulous money.It looks like some of them really
effective. The last “know-how” is the hCG diet (gonadotropic hormone
placenta). What do you need to know about this? Famous blogger Erin
Flaherty tells her weight loss story.

Life went on in a frantic rhythm,
as required by the position of creative director of a fashion magazine. I AM
tried her best to balance correctly between family and work, to
which was accompanied by constant long business trips, but about
I completely forgot my health …

The last straw was my flight from London to Los Angeles – after
landing, I suddenly felt terrible pain in my chest, and, without delay,
went to the doctors.I was not ready to die for fashion … Diagnosis
turned out to be not fatal: spit is something like pneumonia. In my
the medical history from childhood is asthma. But it’s all to blame, of course,
was my way of life. A year later, my family and I decided to move to
west coast and live, so to speak, in a quiet harbor. In a new life
I got a kind of space for self-esteem. After all, I am not
the only one who tried to eat only healthy food, but nothing
turned out, who worked from morning to night, and, returning home, barely
put the children to bed.My Coca-Cola addiction is growing and my weight
began to bother me every day more and more.

Once upon a time
I decided to see my old friend and was extremely surprised
how skinny and well-groomed she was. The secret of her slimness was
HCG diet. “The new diet completely changed my attitude to food, –
she said. “I only lost weight in problem areas.”
Indeed, she did not look exhausted and dry, which leads to
most diets. She had a wasp waist, exactly what
was with me before giving birth.She gave me the phone number of the miracle nutritionist.

I
began her own research and found that pregnant women
women have the highest hCG levels. It is extracted from urine tests and
created synthetically. The main goal of the diet is that
the hormone accelerates the mobilization of fat and uses it as an energy source,
as it always happens in the body during pregnancy. This
“Focus” helps to forget about the feeling of hunger, eating little food.

V
In 2007, a book about the HCG diet was published, authored by Kevin
Trudeau.As a result, he spent two years behind bars on charges of
fraud because
Food and Drug Administration refused
validate his methods described in the book. I also found many
negative reviews from leading nutritionists who insisted that,
consuming so few calories, you can lose weight, regardless of hCG.
There have been cases when men had a decrease in testosterone levels after
course of diets. But to be honest, I didn’t care, no matter what
I wanted to lose those extra pounds.

I
turned to good specialists and started treatment. Duration
course – from 21 to 45 days. But that was not what frightened me at all: among others
procedures, three times a week I had to inject myself
vitamin B12 in the waist area. The doctor clearly explained and showed how
do it. I was insanely scared and painful, but still endure
worth it. We came up with a diet plan that cost me $ 750.

Diet
was strict: no dairy products, carbohydrates, alcohol or sugar;
meat, vegetables and fish only in small portions.The hardest part was
give up sugar – this is my favorite Coca-Cola. Soon i
felt significant changes: my energy
level, the skin became much cleaner, the eyes became clearer. I felt
just awesome!
See also: Rapid test from experienced nutritionists: what methods of losing weight are right for you?

Once a week I
visited a medical center, where I weighed myself and renewed hCG nutrition.
I lost half a kilogram a day, however, from this B12 injections became
more painful.The diet worked so well that I decided to complete the full
45-day course, for which I paid another $ 500.

V
in total, I lost 12 kilograms, returned to that weight,
which was 10 years ago, and even the stomach left after giving birth. I finally
could afford skinny jeans and a crop top. When I was telling
to their friends and colleagues about their magic diet, they perceived it
pretty skeptical. Truth be told, there are a lot of people in Los Angeles
passed my way, but no one speaks about it openly, being afraid to call
resentment and criticism of others.Yes, I exposed myself big
danger, undergoing such a difficult course of injections without proper
medical supervision. But he who does not take risks does not drink champagne! ”

based on instyle materials (translated by Anastasia Sukhenko)

Source: hochu.ua

Diet Simeons with Anat Stern: the latest reviews of girls

The problem of excess weight in the modern world is quite acute: according to statistics for 2014, more than 640 million people suffer from obesity. For example, 40 years ago this figure was 105 million.Given this fact, it is not at all surprising why so much attention is paid to diets. Despite the sad statistics, there is reason for joy: many people strive to improve their diet, give up bad habits and start playing sports. One of the nutritional systems that contributes to the normalization of metabolism is the diet of Dr. Simeons with Anat Stern. But first things first.

Some historical data

Diet as a health food first appeared before our era.It is easy to guess that its founder was the “father of medicine” – Hippocrates. Several hundred years later, the Arab physician Avicenna continued to develop it, but already as a small mechanism of a large system. It was with his submission that such a branch of medicine as dietetics appeared. It was used only as a medicine against diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and liver. But they did not think or hear about obesity in those days – they just did not know what it could be.

Diets for weight loss began to be developed relatively recently, and not without reason.Around the 50s of the last century, it became necessary to treat people from excess weight. Various techniques were developed, but the principle of their work was aimed only at a certain type of people. For others, these nutrition systems simply did not help get rid of extra pounds.

Dr. Simeons made a great contribution to the development of dietetics. Gradually studying the problem, he found the ideal solution, making his method of losing weight unique, inimitable and universal.

Diet of Simeons with Anat Stern

First, the doctor found out that a person has “bad” and “good” fat.In this case, the second is usually burned, and the first remains so, no matter what the person does. This is a reserve that the body keeps in reserve in case of various stressful situations, and these, in turn, can be both starvation and shock. That is why it is difficult to get rid of fatty deposits on the hips and abdomen.

The second discovery was the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that is present in the blood only in pregnant women, on the process of losing weight. It sends a signal to the brain that it is necessary to use the reserves to provide the fetus and the expectant mother with all the necessary substances.Thus, if chorionic gonadotropin works in the body of an ordinary person, there will be a real opportunity to get rid of fat deposits in the most problematic areas. But along with this, you need to follow a certain diet. Her doctor has been for 15 years.

“Diet of Simeons with Anat Stern” is a book in which a simple woman helps to understand the principles of the doctor’s nutritional system. By the way, earlier its development was available only for a narrow circle of people – doctors, because all publications were filled with terminology incomprehensible to the common man.

Anat Stern is currently a weight loss consultant. She came a long way before she was able to achieve what she wanted – to lose those extra pounds and gain a beautiful figure. Of course, Simeons’ method alone is not enough – Stern led a healthy and moderately active lifestyle.

After that, Anat set a goal for herself – to help everyone who wants to get rid of extra pounds, to do it quickly and without harm to the body. And then, when everything works out, save the result.Most importantly, Anat Stern is highly educated in the field of healthy, proper nutrition and weight management. This is how the Simeons diet with Anat Stern appeared.

Basic principles and features of the diet of Dr. Simeons

One of the main points is the supply of hCG to the body. But if previously only injections of the hormone were done, then today many drugs have been developed that are a natural replacement that do not need to be injected. It is also possible to take only the principle of operation of hCG, which will make the body react as if chorionic gonadotropin had entered it.This, for example, is a bioresonance method, when even ordinary sugar granules will act as a hormone, namely, send a signal to the brain that it is necessary to spend fat reserves. It is safe, and in the book “Diet of Simeons with Anat Stern” all methods are described in more detail.

Further – duration. It can be either 40 days or 23. The second shortened option is perfect for those who want to try and evaluate the effectiveness of this nutritional system. The next stage after the diet, which is 3 weeks, is the consolidation of the result.At this time, a person can be said to train to continue eating healthy foods so that they never return to their previous weight. Diet Simeons with Anat Stern involves stimulating and balancing metabolism, and by the end of the technique, this process will be well established. All that remains for a person is simply to continue to eat healthy food and at least occasionally engage in physical activity.

There are 4 stages:

1. Preparing the body and cleaning it from toxins.
2. Intensive diet.
3. Period of fixing the result.
4. Time to recover.

Features of the menu

The course of the Simeons diet with Anat Stern assumes consumption of no more than 500 kcal per day, and thanks to hCG injections (or drops / tablets), hunger is absolutely not felt. There are only two main meals per day. Of course, there is breakfast too, but it does not count as it is low in calories. In both meals, it is necessary to provide the body with protein (100 g) and carbohydrates, but no fat.

So, Simeons’ diet with Anat Stern – menu (example):

• For breakfast you need to drink a mug of tea or coffee without sugar. If desired, you can add milk, but no more than 1 tablespoon.
• Lunch and dinner consist of the same set of foods: rusk, vegetable or fruit containing carbohydrates, and 100 g of protein.

By the way, only plain water, tea or coffee can be made from liquid. Other drinks are banned. Now about protein-containing products:

• lobster;
• chicken meat;
• crab;
• shrimp;
• beef;
• white fish;
• veal.

These products can be boiled or fried, but without the addition of oil. You must first remove fat from meat, if any. Fruits and vegetables allowed for consumption:

• cabbage; 90,030 90,029 spinach;
• fennel;
• asparagus;
• cucumbers;
• radish; 90,030 90,029 Swiss chard;
• tomatoes;
• beet leaves;
• bow;
• celery;
• lettuce leaves;
• orange;
• half grapefruit;
• apple;
• a handful of strawberries.

For cooking, you can use parsley, thyme, basil, garlic, marjoram, salt, pepper, vinegar, dry mustard and juice of 1 lemon.

Simeons’ diet with Anat Stern allows you to develop a menu for a week (as well as for the entire month and a half) independently, taking into account the above recommendations. For example:

1. Coffee with milk.
2. Boiled chicken breast with a piece of rusk.
3. Tomato and cucumber salad with parsley and garlic.

On the second day, you can have tea for breakfast, prepare white fish for lunch, and make a fruit salad with lemon juice for dinner.Then alternate or change products every day, preparing various dishes from them. The main thing is to remember that the weight of protein foods should be 100 g raw, and in total no more than 500 kcal should be consumed per day. And, of course, to deliver hCG or its analogue into the body. The hormone is stopped 40 days after the start of the diet, at the same time the diet is increased to 1200 kcal.

The advantages of such a food system

Simeons’s diet with Anat Stern has different reviews, and it is difficult to determine which of them is greater.But to understand the main pros and cons of the menu and the use of hCG is not difficult. The doctor himself believed that the technique he developed was not capable of harm, since it had a scientific basis. First, positive qualities:

• The feeling of hunger disappears, the appetite decreases.
• As a result, the result is stable, that is, you do not have to worry about the weight returning.
• Fat is gone, but muscle remains.
• What is important, the figure becomes toned, no sagging skin and stretch marks.

Disadvantages of the Simeons diet

But nevertheless, the intake of hormones does not pass without leaving a trace for the body and can entail a number of unpredictable changes.

• Thrombus formation.
• The onset of depression.
• Chronic sore throat.
• Pathological processes in the adrenal glands.
• Increased fertility, which is not always good.

Anat Stern’s Guidebook

This edition, which can be found on the shelves of bookstores, is the first and only step-by-step guide on how to follow the Simeons diet.With the Anat Stern menu, the conditions for taking hCG or its analogue and the process of preparing for the nutritional system are much easier for an ordinary person to understand. The book includes the following information:

• History of the author.
• Simeons Diet Basics.
• Everything you need to know about HCG (injections, hormone-based homeopathic drops).
• Walkthrough.
• Preparation.
• 4 steps in the method.
• Recommendations.

Diet of Simeons with Anat Stern: reviews

It turns out that almost everyone who is against such a weight loss system has never tried it.But whoever took a chance once did not regret it. Basically, many are afraid of hCG (this is understandable – the hormone after all), but today it can be replaced with great success with homeopathic analog drops. Many women respond well to these drugs, recommend to others and insist on absolute harmlessness and effectiveness.

Conclusion

As the author of the book says, she spent 10 years trying to find the ideal diet with which she could lose weight.But only Simeons’ diet helped. With Anat Stern (reviews of the girls confirm this), it is much easier to lose unnecessary kilograms according to the method of an endocrinologist, since the publication is not filled with incomprehensible terms, everything is extremely clear and described in detail. Therefore, anyone who has been unable to find their ideal diet for a long time can try it. The only warning is that it is better to consult a physician, especially if you have serious illnesses.

IS STOMACH PAIN A SIDE EFFECT OF A DIET WITH HCG? – MEDICAL

Contents:

HCG Diet is a very low calorie meal plan that includes injections of hormones that move excess fat and suppress appetite. For those on the hCG diet, severe stomach pain can be caused by any number of factors, from a 500 calorie daily meal plan to the effect of hCG. Before switching to a new diet, especially one that is low in nutrients, you should talk to your doctor.

Hunger pains

The National Institutes of Health explains that healthy adult men need at least 1,500 calories per day to function properly, and women need at least 1,200 calories per day.On the HCG diet, you are only allowed about 500 calories, which is a small percentage of the recommended intake. Chronic hunger is defined by Merriam-Webster as cravings or cravings for food that can cause an unpleasant sensation. Cramping hunger may occur if the stomach is empty for several hours. According to the Textbook of Medical Physiology, when cravings from hunger are extremely severe, they can last two to three minutes and even become painful 1.

• The National Institutes of Health explains that healthy adult men need at least 1,500 calories per day to function properly, and women need at least 1,200 calories per day.
• On the HCG diet, you are allowed to consume only about 500 calories, which is a small percentage of the recommended intake.

O hCG

HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone that is produced in the placenta during pregnancy.In the 1950s, British endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons theorized that this compound redistributes fat from areas where it tends to accumulate, suppresses hunger, and helps burn excess fat. For at least the past 30 years, many studies have discredited these claims, forcing the FDA to investigate hCG. According to FDA’s Shelley Burgess, spokeswoman for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, they found that there is no evidence that hCG reduces weight beyond what is a result of calorie restriction 4. The use of hCG can lead to water retention and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS, which can cause severe abdominal pain 2.

• hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone that is produced in the placenta during pregnancy.
• According to FDA’s Shelley Burgess, spokeswoman for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, they found that there is no evidence that hCG reduces weight beyond what is a result of calorie restriction 4.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

HCG is FDA approved for the treatment of infertility. According to MedlinePlus, when taken this way, HCG causes OHSS in about 10 percent of women. Most of them experience mild symptoms, including bloating and mild abdominal pain. Those with severe symptoms experience severe pain or bloating. OHSS is a condition characterized by enlargement of the ovaries, due to which fluid can enter the chest and abdomen.This complication can occur after any in vitro treatment, but most often occurs after hCG injections. Since hCG is not approved for the treatment of overweight and obesity, the FDA has no statistics on how many patients develop OHSS on an hCG diet.

• hCG approved by the FDA for the treatment of infertility.
• This complication can occur after any in vitro treatment, but most often occurs after hCG injections.

Considerations

HCG Diet Can Help You Lose Weight.However, hormone is not responsible for burning excess fat. In 2011, US News and World Report Associate Professor Peter Cohen, MD, at Harvard Medical School, says HCG-assisted weight loss occurs “mainly because you consume almost no calories. And no benefit will last long. “ To lose weight without pain, you need to burn more calories than you eat, eat healthy foods, and increase physical activity.

• The HCG diet can help you lose weight.
• In 2011 “USA
• News and World Report” Harvard Medical School associate professor Peter Cohen, M.D., says HCG-assisted weight loss occurs “mainly because you consume almost no calories.

90,000 What is HCG Diet Plan

HCG, or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Diet, is a very low calorie diet designed to reduce weight and maintain the body’s immune system.HCG is originally a hormone that is produced during pregnancy and is a prescribed medication for treating fertility problems.

The HCG diet limits calorie intake to between 500 and 800 calories per day. If you follow the HCG diet plan, there is a possibility of losing a lot of weight in a very short time. However, this is not recommended for pregnant women and people with severe digestive and heart problems. The diet plan should be followed over several periods of the shot, rather than very long durations, to prevent harmful effects on other organs.

HCG Diet Plan:

The HCG Diet aims to reduce weight by following a specific plan. Let’s see how it works.

Stage 1: preparation period:

The HCG diet plan begins with preparing your body for the changes that it will undergo in the near future. To increase your water intake, you should start regular morning walks for at least 30 minutes and do breathing exercises. You should also increase your intake of breadfruits and apples to cleanse your system.This phase is for most of them the cleansing phase that allows your body to get rid of all the extra impurities and germs that lead to excessive bloating.

Stick to at least 6 glasses of water every day and continue walking at short, brisk paces at least three times a week. As for breathing exercises, you need to inhale when you hold your breath for a few seconds. When the question arises as to what a hCG diet is, this phase doesn’t really matter, and therefore there is still no change in your diet.It simply prepares your body for the HCG diet plan.

Phase 2: Increase Energy:

In this phase, the goal is for the body to accumulate a lot of energy in 3 days before moving on to a restricted diet. You should probably eat anything and everything you can to keep your energy levels high. Starting on the fourth day, a VLCD is planned, which lasts up to 25-45 days, depending on the target value for weight loss. The diet should consist of a 500 calorie diet throughout the day, divided into 3 main meals and regular snacks between meals.For breakfast on the HCG Diet Menu, stick to green tea or light coffee. Avoid sugar. You can switch to artificial sweeteners instead.

When taken for lunch, 100 g of protein should be the smallest hCG in your diet for the day. For the same, choose wisely and alternate each day between chicken, shrimp, tuna, or salmon. You should take 1 vegetable along with protein. Go for spinach, lettuce, kale, tomatoes and cucumbers for the salad. Not only is it easy to prepare, it serves a purpose.Dig for fruits such as apples, grapes, bananas, and pomegranates between lunch and dinner. For dinner, however, try to keep your calorie intake as low as possible. The breadbasket and the fruit should do it. Keep in mind that as long as you are on the HCG diet, vegetable oil is not allowed. Get creative accordingly.

Stage 3: Return to normal diet plan:

This diet plan is postponed for 3 weeks. As you do this, you switch to regular meals that are healthy and energized.However, foods high in calories with artificial sweeteners, fast food, cold drinks, and high in trans fats are completely prohibited. This phase basically carries over to the previous phase and helps control your HCG in general, as the diet works.

Phase 4: Maintenance:

After Phase 3, you may feel like you lost weight but stayed active the entire time. Perhaps you have also achieved your goal, and now is the time for real tests.You must continue to stay healthy, leading a normal life as before, but maintain the weight loss that has occurred. This phase is, in fact, the most important and important phase of your HCG diet, and therefore, even after it is completed, you need to stick to the 500 calorie diet for the next 3 days. After 3 days of completing Phase 3, you finally move on to Phase 4.

Here you are slowly allowed to slowly regain your normal diet so that you can maintain a constant weight.In addition, your new calorie intake has been increased and increased to 1500 calories. To balance those extra calories, your food choices can now include healthy fats and dairy products, but nothing extra. If you are lactose intolerant, you can also try high protein foods like steaks and chicken breasts. Remember to measure and record your weight every morning, and try to maintain the excess changes that result from malnutrition.Add egg and cheese dishes on a cheat day, say once a week is okay if you maintain your exercise regimen accordingly.

HCG Diet Side Effects:

Although the diet plan is professionally designed with your body in mind, there are times when it doesn’t fit your body, causing some serious and some less serious problems … Typical problems that may come your way:

Gallstone formation:

Commonly known as a gallstone, it can be serious, causing improper urination and infection that damage other organs.An interesting and easy way to avoid this is to rely on high-calorie vegetables and fruits. So, even if you’re saving 500 calories a day, the fruit you take on hiatus keeps you from starving until lunchtime. As your digestive system works, the threat of gallstones decreases.

Arrhythmia:

Due to changes in calorie intake and dietary habits while dieting, you may feel your heart rate decrease and lead to dizziness.To maintain a consistent calorie intake throughout the day, you can fill your lunch and dinner times with fruit, as mentioned earlier. Be sure to cut back on the amount of salt you usually have. This is because your calories are now limited. The more salt you add to it, the more you risk high blood pressure and therefore heart rate problems.

Muscle Function:

Eating just to keep your energy full; and since weight loss is targeted, general cramps and muscle pain are normal.

Breakdown:

This is one of the extreme cases where an excessive diet leads to fainting and loss of feelings for a short time.