HCG Diet Facts

Dr. A.T.W. Simeons formally published the HCG Diet in the 1950s. Since then it has gained popularity at a very fast pace. The original HCG diet was published in Italy, where Dr. Simeons was practicing as an endocrinologist. Having worked with the endocrine system and being very familiar with its function, Dr. Simeons knew that there was something out there that could help, if not cure, obesity. At the time, Dr. Simeons had no way of predicting the need for products like HCG. Currently, more than one-third of US adults are considered obese. Obese affects anyone that has a BMI of 30 or higher. BMI can be calculated using the following formula:

Weight (lb) / [Height (in)]2 x 703

The HCG diet plan is a diet where you take the hormone HCG, also know as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, either sublingually or through injections. The diet is accompanied by a low calorie diet. When following Dr. Simeons’ protocol, you will follow a 500-calorie diet. With the HCG diet, it’s not just the HCG that works and it’s not just the diet that works. It’s a combination of the two. A lot of people wonder if they will go into starvation mode while on the HCG diet. The answer is no. With the diet protocol, your body doesn’t just exist on 500 calories. The HCG forces your body to unlock the fat that is stored in the mid-section (hips, thighs, belly, and butt) as well as in the upper arms. Your body then consumes between 1500-4000 calories from the stored fat being released into your body IN ADDITION to the 500 calories that are being eaten. A lot of times this stored fat is referred to as abnormal fat. It’s fat that our body does not need to survive. It was stored there by our body because we weren’t able to burn all that we consumed, or sometimes there are other factors that play into obesity like thyroid issues, hereditary, etc.

The objective of the HCG diet is to help a person lose weight quickly, but also to maintain the weight loss long term. Long term weight stabilization will happen through the use of HCG because it helps reset your hypothalamus, the maintenance phase teaches you how to eat whole & natural foods, and by the end of the full program, your body should no longer be craving the sugars and carbohydrates that your body once craved.

The HCG diet was made public to help people struggling with obesity lose weight. A lot of times, these people may be too overweight to exercise, so dieting is the first step in losing weight. After the weight goes down, they can start to introduce exercise into their daily routine. While on the HCG diet, exercise should be kept to a minimum to ensure your body doesn’t burn more than it should, which in turn could cause your body to either go into starvation mode or start burning muscle. Exercise that is allowed while on the diet would be walking, swimming, or yoga. These can be done 3-5 times per week, for up to 1 hour at a time. Although this diet was designed to help obese customers lose weight quickly, it can also be used for people that only have 5 pounds to lose. The protocol is the same, but there are some variations that can be made to ensure you don’t lose too much weight.

What Food Will You Eat On The HCG Diet?

The foods that are allowed on the HCG diet are lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Sugars, starches, and oils are not allowed. By getting rid of these 3 items, your body will start to lose weight. The foods allowed on the HCG diet help your body metabolize them quickly, allowing for a greater weight loss. Anytime that something is eaten or used that is not allowed on the diet, people can experience a stall in their weight loss or even possibly a gain. When doing the HCG diet, it’s always best to be completely committed to the diet and your health. The best thing for your body is the food listed on the protocol. Even once you enter maintenance, and of course after the diet is all done, it’s best to stick with a similar way of eating. You don’t have to starve yourself, and we would never recommend that you eat only 500 calories per day without HCG in your system. To maintain your weight loss long term, we would recommend a diet rich in lean proteins, raw fruits, and raw vegetables. Even when using diet products such as diet sodas, our body can still gain weight, so it’s best to steer clear of diet products after the diet is over. It also would be a good idea to introduce a workout routine into your daily life. It doesn’t need to be a strenuous workout daily, but a nice 30-60 minute work out 3-5 times per week would be ideal.

When on the HCG diet, you can take the HCG for a minimum of 23 days up to 45 days. The minimum of 23 days is how long it takes for your hypothalamus to be reset. By resetting your hypothalamus, your body will continue to burn calories at your new lower rate, which is typically faster than what it was when a person was overweight. It’s not recommended to go over the 45 day mark with the injections, but you can go up to 60 days with the drops. The reason for this is because the body can become immune to HCG. If a body is immune to HCG, the body can go into starvation mode, which will make a person weak and very tired. It’s always best to take a break, following the outlined maintenance guidelines, to ensure that you don’t become immune. This also ensures that your weight loss will continue at a good pace if you choose to the HCG diet again. If you have more than 40-60lbs to lose, you may have to do multiple rounds of HCG, which is very common. However, make sure you are following maintenance for best results.

When looking to do the HCG diet, make sure you plan ahead. Try doing the diet when you don’t have any vacations or parties coming up in the near future. The more you can dedicate yourself to the diet itself, the better off you will be long term.