The HCG diet meal plan for weight loss is a very popular program and in use since the very old time. This weight loss diet program works on the theory of extreme calorie restriction say 500 calorie intake each day which claims to cause the fastest possible weight loss about 1-2 pounds each day.
In this particular program HCG hormone is released in your body through injections, pills or any other supplements form which works directly in controlling your hunger level, reduces muscle loss and manages other hormonal imbalance. This is the same hormone that naturally occurs in the body of a pregnant lady to support the growing baby throughout the journey of 9 months.
Once you choose to start this diet meal plan you will be given the list of some restricted foods rich in protein that can easily fulfill your daily doses of calories and one shot of HCG every day. The program is no doubt effective but it comes with many limitations. This is the reason FDA has not approved this diet plan and has considered it illegal, dangerous and fraudulent. However, in the short term, this program is beneficial in order to get quick results in terms of weight loss.
What Is the hCG Diet Meal Plan?
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HCG or Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is naturally produced in the body of a pregnant woman. Though this hormone is used in medical science for different purposes but apart from those uses, it gained more popularity as an effective and quick weight loss measure.
In the hCG diet meal plan the desired person who is trying to lose weight and willing for quick results in this regard is given hCG pills, drops and injections in order to assist in weight loss. This hCG dose is given regularly until this diet plan continues along with a very restricted diet menu which contains a very low level of calorie say 500 calories intake each day.
The hCG fad diet plan is in use for many decades but first, it gained popularity in the year 1954 when the physician A. T. W. Simeons published a report in The Lancet saying that there is a direct link between hCG injections and initial as well as progressive phase weight loss. His theory basically came from other doctors who were using the hCG hormone for the treatment of children affected by Frohlich’s syndrome, a disease that causes obesity and restrains the growth of reproductive organs.
Doctor Simeons gave the theory that when hCG hormone shots help the Frohlich’s syndrome patient in reducing their body weight then this hormone can equally work in people who are not suffering from this disease but are over-weight or obese.
He considered hCG as an effective appetite suppressant. However, in later decades researchers discovered that it’s not just the hCG that reduces weight but a heavy caloric curtailment, 500 calories a day for a few weeks time that make it possible to reduce weight drastically.
The Carol Wolin-Riklin, R.D., from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston says that there are no pros in taking hCG. Its long term usage can make a person nutrition deprive as on the restrictive diet plan no one can get enough nutrition needed for a healthy body functioning. Other than that it can cause electrolyte imbalances and heart arrhythmias.
It can be said that weight loss that happens after following this diet meal is because of a highly restrictive diet routine of 500 calories in a day and most of the bodyweight come from lean muscle mass and water.
Some Important Facts about the hCG Diet Plan
Here are some important facts about the hCG diet plan that everybody needs to know.
The hCG Diet Plan is not Backed by Rigorous Studies or Clinical Trials
The hCG diet meal plan is not supported by any clinical trial or research study to prove this weight loss program’s effectiveness. Also, there is no scientific evidence to support that it can be used as a weight-loss tool. The hCG hormone is safer for the treatment of infertility related issues in women as this is the hormone that is produced during pregnancy by the placenta.
The Elizabeth Miller, acting director of the FDA’s division of non-prescription drugs and health fraud, says that people who are on homeopathic hCG remedies think that they are losing weight because of the medication but in reality, it is more a severe calorie restriction that is playing an active role in weight loss nor the hCG drugs.
The hCG Diet Plan may Aid in Weight Loss but It Has Limitations
hCG diet meal plan which is also well famous as hCG 500-calorie diet is actually because it has much to do in losing weight. In this particular diet program for weight loss in obese people, there is a fixed rule of consuming only 500 calories in a day. However, on the ground level, this protocol seems unrealistic because on average active women need about 2200 to 2400 calories in a day as per the survey report published by the National Institutes of Health.
Also, this limited calorie intake (500 calories) is only restricted to some specific food sources such as animal protein out of crab, fresh white fish, beef, veal, chicken breast, shrimp or lobster and certain fruits, vegetables, and grain sources. One bad thing about the hCG diet plan is that in this program you cannot eat oils even though they are healthy cooking oils such as EVOO and avocado. With all these extreme restrictions on diet and energy sources, it is obvious to understand how the hCG plan triggers weight loss in a person. However, this kind of calorie curtailment can cause a negative impact on health directly or indirectly.
The Side Effects of This Diet Plan are Terrific
Taking illegal hCG injections and pills can develop many strange and irritable side effects such as fatigue, headache, and excessive irritations. Some major health impacts that may result in due to long term usage of hCG shots include irregular heartbeat, gallstones, and electrolyte imbalance that regulates the functioning of your nerves and body muscles.
Almost All of the hCG Supplement Doesn’t contain hCG Hormone Actually
In spite of the hCG’s ability to suppress your appetite, you need a doctor’s prescription and assistance in order to get a true hCG. Because of its negative impact on health FDA has considered it illegal or fraudulent and has clearly stated that it cannot be sold over-the-counter for any purpose.
This means the hCG supplements available over-the-counter, with a label of homeopathic medication have leniency with regard to real ingredients in such products. This is because any supplements products are not regulated or administered by the FDA.
The hCG Diet Injections, Pills, Drops, and Supplements are not Really Homeopathic
In order to be enlisted in the list of homeopathic treatments by the FDA any form of medication needs to appear in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), which is the official list of the active homeopathic ingredients that need to be used in the homeopathic drugs. Also to be counted as the homeopathic drugs any product needs to fulfill some specific and minute criteria. However in the cases of hCG supplements available over-the-counter they do not meet these essential criteria that are needed in order to consider them as homeopathic. Also, hCG does not exist in this list (HPUS) so any supplement sold in the name of homeopathic are not really homeopathic in the actual sense.
HCG Diet Meal Plan Overview
The hCG diet plan follows specific protocols with regard to food intake. However irrespective of different hCG protocols basically it follows the below-mentioned diet plan in its different phases.
HCG Diet Plan Phase 1
This phase is also known as the loading phase in which its participant is required to eat as many meals as he or she can. Though this phase of hCG is not bounded by any must include food menu in this but still, there are some restrictions on it. Foods that are not allowed to consume in this phase are pickled, cured and processed – dried. Only fresh foods are allowed to choose on the menu.
Foods that you can eat in bulk are more protein-rich and fatty foods. High sugar and carbohydrates rich foods are required to be avoided. Foods that are very common in this very first phase of the hCG diet meal plan are meat and seafood which are high protein and fatty food sources. You are free to prepare the foods in any way as per your choice like you can broil, boil, grill, fry, and bake. However, in these cooking processes, you are not allowed to use oils and fats.
HCG Diet Plan Phase 2
The hCG diet plan phase 2 entails consuming only 500 calories a day. However, in spite of this much calorie restriction, its participant is still allowed to choose many healthy food options.
In phase 2 the priority is given to foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, meat and chicken breast. Foods that are not allowed to consume include sugar, bread, and fatty foods. The breakfast menu includes tea or coffee of any variety but it must exclude additives like sugar and cream.
Instead of the additive sugar, the participant is allowed to use Saccharin or Stevia as sweeteners. Only one tablespoon of milk can be used. Two liters of water should be drunk in a day on an average and sugary and carbonated drinks should be avoided.
The lunch menu components are required to be selected very precisely. Like the protein source that you are about to include in the menu must be weighed carefully of 100 grams uncooked weight, not the cooked food weight. Only one variety of vegetables is allowed to be selected and the combination of two or more verities is not allowed. One can include one piece of fruit but visible fats are not allowed to include.
The diet restrictions for dinner meals are similar to the lunch meals however in both the meals the user is allowed to choose variety in foods that works very encouraging for the participants. So, one can change his or her dinner menu from the lunch menu as per will.
The extreme level of calorie restriction in this phase may lead to cravings for more flavorful food. So to reduce this craving risk and to add flavor in your meals in this phase you can add lemon juice, Himalayan salt, Celtic salt, and Sea salt. Some other dressing materials include chili powder, mustard powder, pepper, garlic, thyme, parsley, apple cider vinegar and garlic that help in enhancing flavor. Breadsticks or one serving of fruit can be consumed in between big meals as snacks.
HCG Diet Plan Phase 3
After the strict calorie restrictions of 500 calories each day in phase 2, phase 3 comes as relaxation, as you require to increase your calories, limit up to 2000 calories in a day. However, this sudden increase in the calorie limit on the menu seems extremely difficult to incorporate in life easily as the body needs some adaptation time for this sudden hike in food intake.
In this phase, the participant is needed to eat the same types of foods as they used to eat in the previous phases of the hCG diet meal plan but in increased quantity. This phase will continue up to 21 days. After the completion of 21 days, the participant is allowed to eat the desired level of fats and carbohydrates in their meal. At this point fats from sources like oils, nuts and meat are allowed.
The slow-digesting carbohydrates foods such as oats, oatmeal, fruits, brown rice, and quinoa should be eaten. However dangerous types of carbohydrates that mainly exist in foods like beans, yams, potatoes, pasta, bread, and pumpkin should be avoided. In order to control and maintain your desired body weight, fats and carbohydrates restriction is essential.
HCG Diet Plan Phase 4
In this last phase of the hCG diet plan, there is no specific food menu that you need to consume. At this stage, the participant already achieves the expected physique in general. The effectiveness of this particular diet plan for weight loss is already proved by this time. The only requirement of this phase is to follow a healthy lifestyle routine to maintain the already achieved targeted physique.
Now on maintaining the diet routine of all previous phases proves helpful. In this particular phase, you are allowed to eat all the foods which were excluded in previous phases but in a moderate amount. Now on the intake of all previously excluded foods once in a while helps in controlling the cravings for the restricted foods. Hence this phase can be considered as the least restrictive phase comparatively. However, you require to maintain discipline by self-wisdom to maintain your desired body weight and for preventing further gain of fat
HCG Approved Foods
HCG Approved Vegetables
- Asparagus
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Red Radishes
- Shallots
- Green Salad
- Cabbage
- Mixed Greens
- Beet Greens
- Cucumbers
- Chard
- Onions
- Celery
- Spinach
HCG Approved Protein
- Scallops
- Chicken
- Shrimp
- Extra Lean Beef
- Buffalo
- 3 Egg Whites
- White Fish
- Lobster
- Crab
HCG Approved Fruits
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
- Apples
- Lemons
HCG Approved Food Products
- Herbal Tea
- Coffee
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Braggs Amino Acids
- Stevia
- Mustard powder
- Salt, pepper, or any other natural spices
Note –
- Make sure that at any point you do not use butter, oil or dressing.
- Avoid the seasoning mixes as they usually remain loaded with excessive salt and sugar.
The calorie restriction of 500 calories in a day continues for many weeks which makes this program an extreme level weight loss diet plan. The HCG diet meal plan for weight loss is effective for short term goal in the long run if you want to lose and maintain your desired level weight you should more focus on healthy measures like a fixed exercise routine and some other prominent changes in your overall lifestyle routine which are crucial for keeping it off.
[expand title=”View Article Sources“]
- https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/truth-about-hcg-diet-plan
- https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/the-hcg-diet-may-help-you-lose-weight-but-at-what-cost
- https://www.hcgdietinfo.net/hgc-diet-plan-food-list/
- http://hcgdietsuccessprogram.com/meal-plan/
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Oh wow, the change is so huge! I will try this diet soon for sure, I need to lose some fat. It’s actually the first time I heard about HCG diet, is there any kind of recipes to try to see if I like those?