THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU START THE HCG DIET:
Below is a list of things to do and purchase before you start the HCG diet.
1. Read this post in its entirety.
2. Select which plan you want to do:
a. 15 day (Average weight loss is 7-10 lb.)
b. 25 day (Average weight loss is 10-20 lb.)
c. 45 day (Average weight loss is 20-30 lb.)
3. Purchase your HCG drops.
4. Get a food scale.
5. Get a small indoor grill if needed.
6. Get a reliable digital scale for daily weigh-ins.
7. Get a flexible measuring tape for weekly measurements.
8. Tracking your daily/weekly results.
9. Get a food journal.
10. Rid your cabinets of food that will not be eaten on the diet.
11. Shop for the correct foods and vitamins.
12. Prepare as much food in advance as possible.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Is the HCG diet right for me?
As with any diet or exercise plan, you should consult your physician before beginning the HCG diet.
What is HCG?
HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a glycoprotein hormone that Dr. A.T.W. Simeons discovered could help a patient shed pounds & inches when taken with a specialized but simple diet. HCG is found naturally in the body and has been shown to help metabolize fats so that your body burns the stored fat and allows you to slim down at an average of 1-2 pounds per day in up to 45 days!
How does the HCG hormone work to help me lose weight?
Through his research, Dr. A.T.W. Simeons learned that the hypothalamus controls the storage of fat in our bodies. We have three kinds of fat: 1) structural fat which cushions our organs and insides; 2) normal fat which serves as the padding for our hands, feet etc.; 3) abnormal fat which is the extra fat on our bellies, backsides, love handles, saddle bags and spare tires. We gain abnormal fat from consuming refined foods, sugar and hydrogenated oils, from a slowing metabolism due to the aging process, and because of genetics. Simeons found that when the hypothalamus is stimulated, the body is able to release abnormal fat. The HCG diet combines a very low calorie diet (500 calories) and exact levels of the hormone HCG needed to stimulate the hypothalamus to release between 2500 and 4000 calories worth of the body’s stored, abnormal fat for metabolization each day. Most other diets / exercise plans cause you to lose structural or normal fat first because it is nearly impossible for the body to access and use the stored, abnormal fat. Because of this, your skin will actually tighten instead of getting flabby. You will also see quick and lasting weight loss while resetting hypothalamic function, increasing metabolism, and allowing the person to eat anything they want (with the exception of refined foods, sugars, and starches) without gainging the weight back. What makes HCG homeopathic? The HCG we sell is homeopathic. Homeopathic HCG is produced by taking small amounts of the original strength HCG and making it into a sublingual mixture which is administered under the tongue. The homeopathic version is then taken throughout the day to keep the amount of HCG in your body strong and consistent. A great thing about using homeopathic HCG is that there are no known side effects because there is no chemical interaction in our formula.
Which is better? Homeopathic drops or prescribed injections and pills?
Taking sublingual homeopathic drops have a few obvious advantages. First, many find it very challenging to give themselves or receive injections. Second, the shots and pills are expensive, require a prescription and can be hard to locate. Third, people who have done the injections or pills for their first cycle and then do drops for their second cycle report the same results. Homeopathic drops are just as effective, much easier to administer and far less expensive!
How do I take the HCG drops?
You will take 30 sublingual drops a day. You may choose to take 5 drops 6 times a day or 10 drops 3 times a day. While taking a smaller amount of drops more often may feel inconvenient, it may be more useful for those struggling with food cravings. Taking the drops frequently will keep hunger at bay. However, if your schedule simply does not permit you to take the drops throughout the day or if you find that taking more drops less frequently gives you a more concentrated dose, that’s fine too. There is no reliable research about one method being better than the others. Regardless of your choice, place the drops of HCG under your tongue and leave them there for 1-2 minutes before swallowing. Do not drink or eat anything (including dental hygiene) for 20 minutes before or after you take the HCG. The drops do not need to be refrigerated, but they should be kept out of heat and light.
PHASES OF THE HCG DIET:
Phase 1 = Days 1-2 LOADING DAYS:
Begin taking the HCG hormone but eat as much fat and sugar as you can. These two days of food will serve as your storage reserve for the duration of the first week on the HCG diet. You will likely gain weight during loading days, but it will come off quickly as the hormone and the very low calorie diet start working together. Many people do not want to participate in the loading days when they hear they will gain more weight, but if you don’t, you will suffer from extreme hunger pains during the first week on the diet. This phase is necessary and you will be glad you did it after the pounds start falling off. We suggest you do consume healthy fats like salmon, tuna, avocado, nuts, peanut butter and coconut oil, but enjoy your farewell party for all the bad foods you won’t want to eat with regularity again. You should be in a constant state of “stuffed” for these two days. Eat all through the day and night as you please!
Phase 2 = Days 3-42 / 3-22 / 3-12:
Take the HCG drops and stay on the 500 calorie/day diet. If you plateau, do an apple day.
Phase 3 = Days 43-45 / 23-25 / 13-15:
Go off the HCG hormone but remain on the 500 calorie diet for these last three days before maintenance. It takes 72 hours for the HCG hormone to leave your body. If you increase your caloric intake during this time you will gain weight because the hormone is still at work in your system.
Phase 4 = Maintenance: (1 week for 15 day diet / 3 weeks for 25 day diet / 6 weeks for the 45 day diet) Go back to eating normal calories (we recommend approximately 1200-1800) with the exception of eating refined sugars, simple carbohydrates (bread, white rice, white flour, potatoes or starchy vegetables) or trans fats. This phase is critical to your long-term weigh loss because this is when your body resets your metabolism and hypothalamus for your new body weight. Many people who have not followed the maintenance program in its entirety put weight back on by neglecting this important phase. And you must start consuming a normal amount of calories during this time because without the hormone your body will think it is starving and begin taking its fuel from your muscles. Feel free to slowly reintroduce other healthy foods not on the HCG diet. Again, avoid eating refined sugars, simple carbohydrates and transfats for the entire maintenance period. We suggest adding fruits and vegetables low in natural sugar first (for example, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, raspberries, bell peppers, green beans, sprouts, mushrooms, and zucchini.) We also suggest you slowly add in new low fat meats such as turkey (avoid deli meat if possible), salmon, and tuna. Be aware of your consumption of complex carbohydrates (whole wheat, millet, whole grains, brown rice, and sprouted grains) while on maintenance. Eat them in moderation and continue journaling so you know how your body responds to them. You are supposed to stay within two pounds of your last diet day during the maintenance phase. If you go above the two pounds you are supposed to do what is called a steak day. You will also want to increase exercise on maintenance, eat a large breakfast every day combined with proteins and complex carbohydrates, eat 5/6 meals or snacks a day, and finish your dinner three hours before bedtime. Make sure you are still drinking lots of water and taking vitamins (add in fat soluble A, D, E during maintenance). Once maintenance is completed, you may do another cycle of HCG if desired weight loss has not yet been met.
VERY LOW CALORIE DIET (VLCD):
Breakfast:
1. Coffee, Tea or Water
2. No more than 2 tablespoons of milk per day
3. Stevia is the only sweetener on the HCG diet
Snack #1:
1. A piece of fruit (Orange, Apple, Strawberries, Grapefruit-unless you are diabetic)
2. If you are not hungry for your fruit, you may eat it with your lunch and dinner.
3. Try to eat your fruits six hours apart.
Lunch:
1. 3 ounces of protein (cooked)
2. 1 vegetable (Asparagus, Cabbage, Cucumber, Celery, Cauliflower, Chard, Tomato)
3. 1 Melba Toast
Snack #2:
1. 1 piece of fruit (Orange, Apple, Strawberries, Grapefruit-unless you are diabetic)
2. If you are not hungry for your fruit, you may eat it with your lunch and dinner.
3. Try to eat your fruits six hours apart.
Dinner:
1. 3 ounces of protein (cooked)
2. 1 vegetable (Asparagus, Cabbage, Cucumber, Celery, Cauliflower, Chard, Tomato)
3. 1 Melba Toast
Calories Per Day:
You should consume 500 calories per day.
Beverages:
Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. You may also drink tea sweetened with lemon or stevia.
Seasonings:
You may use any seasonings that do not have MSG or sugar in them. Hot sauce is recommended because it curbs cravings. Do not cook in oil or butter on the HCG diet.
Food Preparation:
We suggest you purchase a small indoor grill. All cooked food must be grilled, steamed or broiled, never fried. Do not use any cooking oils because oil has fat and the HCG diet is a fat FREE diet. We recommend cooking spray in moderation as needed.
NOTEWORTHY TIPS:
Support System: If possible, do the HCG diet with a family member or friend who can support you. You need someone in your corner that will support your effort and push you forward in moments of weakness. If you do not have someone to encourage you, contact the HCG Master team and we will find a coach to stand by you!
Food Journal: It is a good idea to keep a food journal each day so you can accurately count the calories consumed at each meal and so you can monitor how your body responds to the foods you eat. Journaling also prevents cheating or over eating because if you eat it you have to record it!
Daily Weigh Ins: Every day after waking and urinating you should weigh yourself and record it on your tracking sheet. Tracking your progress is EXTREMELY important to your success because seeing the weight coming off consistently will motivate you to stay strong. Tracking also helps you take inventory of any foods that may slow down your weight loss and therefore be avoided or consumed less often.
Vitamins: You may only take water-soluble vitamins on the HCG diet. We suggest you take .99mg/day of Potassium, and a Calcium/Magnesium supplement. Our HCG formula already has B12 which will be of benefit as well. Do not take any fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E).
Exercise: Exercise is not recommended in excess of 15 minutes per day while on the HCG hormone. Your body needs its energy on a very low calorie diet. Do add exercise in during the maintenance phase.
Makeup: Do not use makeup that contains oil or fat while on the HCG diet. The oil and fat will interfere with the absorption of the HCG hormone. We suggest switching to a powder or mineral foundation while on HCG. Avoid all lotions as well. A good alternative while on the HCG hormone is organic aloe vera.
Massages: No form of body massage should be administered while taking the HCG hormone.
Sleep: Sleep is so important on the HCG diet. Do not neglect the rest your body needs to reenergize every day. Many find greater success on the HCG diet when they report regular and adequate sleeping patterns.
Menstrual Cycle: A woman should not take HCG drops while menstruating. She can restart the hormone once menstruation ends. Failure to stop taking drops while menstruating could drastically lengthen one’s cycle and cause painful and heavy bleeding. Failure to restart the hormone after the completion of one’s menstrual cycle will cause increased hunger. Women should start the HCG diet after the last day of their menses or at least ten days before menses are scheduled to begin. Women may continue to use birth control but if you get pregnant during the HCG diet, discontinue the drops and the very low calorie diet.
Side Effects: While there are no known side effects of the HCG diet, some experience mild headaches the first few days on the very low calorie diet as they eliminate sugar, carbohydrates and processed food. Drinking lots of water seems to help alleviate the headaches. Another side effect many complain of is constipation. The only recommended cure to increase bowel movements is drinking as much water as possible throughout the day.
Apple Days: If you plateau or make a mistake that you know is stalling your weight loss, do an apple day. During an apple day, you will only eat 6 apples over 24 hours (while continuing to take your HCG drops). Begin at lunch and end at lunch the next day, eating apples every three hours. You should consume water as usual during an apple day, but you may not drink anything else. Many find that apple days help them drop an average of two pounds the next day.
Steak Days: If you weigh yourself and find you have gained two or more pounds, do a steak day. Eat nothing all day and eat as large a steak as you’d like for dinner. Drink only water the rest of the day. You should lose the two pounds the next day. Steak days are particularly helpful during the maintenance phase when you are reintroducing a normal calorie diet and a variety of foods again.
Finish Strong: As with any diet you will have some challenging days. Do not give up! A huge part of this diet is mind over matter, so think of the progress you have made and press on through the day. We tell ourselves “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”! Remember how hard you have worked! It’s not worth cheating or giving up. In fact, cheating with even one meal off the diet could delay your weight loss for up to three days and could actually cause you to gain back weight you worked so hard to lose. You may have a few days in which you don’t see any progress on the scale, but remember that you are losing inches too and there will be moments during this journey when your body is actually reshaping itself. You may not lose for a few days in a row and then all of the sudden you will lose three pounds! DO NOT GIVE UP! Do this for you and don’t let anything get in the way of reclaiming your health and wellbeing.
SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULES:
Daily Schedule - Taking 10 HCG Drops 3 Times a Day:
8:00am: First dose of 10 drops
10:00am: Morning fruit
12:00pm: Lunch
2:00pm: Second dose of 10 drops
4:00pm: Afternoon fruit
6:00pm: Dinner
8:00pm: Third dose of 10 drops
Daily Schedule - Taking 5 HCG Drops 6 Times a Day:
7:30am: First dose of 5 drops
9:30am: Second dose of 5 drops
10:00am: Morning fruit
12:00pm: Third Dose of 5 drops
12:30pm: Lunch
3:00pm: Fourth dose of 5 drops
3:30pm: Afternoon fruit
6:00pm: Fifth dose of 5 drops
6:30pm: Dinner
9:00pm: Sixth dose of 5 drops
