HCG Diet 101 – An Outline Of The HCG Diet
The HCG diet plan works well for individuals who are keen to lose weight following this particular diet. In easy terms this can be said to be a diet which involves eating low calorie food supplemented by HCG hormone drops or injections. This is found to be extremely effective as the recommended calorie intake is very less and is bound to reduce weight drastically. The HCG hormone supplements the nourishment that is required by the body and which is not met by the low quantity of food. The HCG diet consists of three main phases. These are loading phase, maintenance phase and stabilization follows. The loading phase is followed for two days, the maintenance for 21-40 days and the stabilization takes 21 days.
The Loading Phase of HCH diet 101
This is the first stage and is the preparation stage for the body to gear up for the diet plan to follow. This involves very high food intake to load the body. The purpose of this phase is to store as much food as the body can in order to be able to get through the lean period that is to come. Individuals on this diet are asked to eat as much as they can within two days time. They are encouraged to gorge on all kinds of food, especially fatty ones like fried chicken, beef, steak pies, chocolate and so on. Even foods that are rich in carbohydrates like bread, pizza, pasta and rice are recommended in this initial phase. This is believed to assist in fat storage to be used later on. This also follows the logic that the hypothalmus would continue to function and burn fat even during the diet plan.
The Maintenance Phase of HCG diet 101
The next phase that follows is the maintenance phase which lasts for three to six weeks. In this phase the individual needs to take only 500 calories in a day. This is the main feature in the HCG diet regimen and fat loss is sure to occur during this phase due to the reduced calorie intake. One is expected to lose fat from areas of the body with fatty deposits, even stubborn ones.
The Stabilization Phase
This is the final phase and is not as restrictive as the previous phase. The individual needs to go back to his or her normal diet. The intake of carbohydrates and fat is still required to be less in order to maintain the reduced weight. The calorie intake can be 1000 for men and 800 for women per day. One can lose about 15 kilos in 30 days following this plan.
Foods to eat during the HCG diet 101
Day 1 and 2: This is the loading phase in which the diet should consist of maximum fat and HCG drops. This is the time when the person should begin to take the HCG drops as per recommended dosage. High fat foods and full portions should be eaten without fail. Try and include butter, eggs, full fat yogurt and diary products, avocados, seeds, nuts and other fats high in fat. This step should not be skipped as the body will not be able to withstand the next steps to come in the diet plan. So stocking up on fat to be burnt later is vital.
Day 3 to 21/42: This is the time for a 500 calorie diet and HCG drops to supplement nutrition. From the third day onward one needs to take the HCG drops daily three times and embark on a diet of 500 calories only. This should be fat-free and one is recommended to cut down on carbohydrates too. It is essential to take a Vitamin-B supplement on a daily basis. The food items that are allowed during the maintenance phase include stevia, multivitamin, green tea, sea salt, oranges, lemons, apple cider vinegar, apples, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, spinach, green onions, celery, asparagus, lettuce, lean chicken breast, lean ground beef, Lobster, shrimp, crab and salsa without sugar. No oils or butter or dressings are allowed in this phase. Even condiments are not recommended as they have fat and sugar. For seasoning one can use pepper, salt, parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, marjoram, mustard, vinegar and the like. Only a tablespoon of milk may be taken on a day. Beverages allowed are tea, coffee, plain and mineral water. In fact water intake can be increased during this time.
Day 21 t0 26 or Day 42 -44: This is a 500 calorie diet which is followed without HCG drops. This is in fact the last three days of the plan. One should continue taking 500 calories but stop the HCG drops. Usually, the body takes three days to get the HCG out of the system.
The next three weeks: For the weight to become stable after the diet it takes about three weeks. This means that fluctuations in weight are no longer drastic. This is the phase when the body adjusts to its new weight and is preparing to include starches again. The calorie intake should not go beyond 1500, preferably 1000. One can start eating regular meals consisting of breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks in between. One should not go heavy on the sugars and carbohydrates. It is better to avoid potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and sweets. Fruits, vegetables, meats with olive oil, diary, nuts and eggs are recommended. Even alcohol in small quantities can be taken. This diet needs to be carried on for the first three weeks after the previous phase for lasting results. One should also start physical exercises and be careful not to gain weight again.
The HCG diet 101 plan has been found to be highly successful in weight loss. The body loses weight drastically and with careful monitoring of regular diet later one can maintain the optimum weight easily.
