Tip #1: Weigh your food with a scale
It is recommended to eat one apple as opposed to two maller ones. As for the chicken breast, you must realize that this means only chicken, not another fowl, and only the breast, not the wings or thighs. It is highly recommended that you obtain an accurate scale with which to weigh your meat, as accuracy is important. . Postal scales are preferable because they can be more accurate. Because it is hard to visualize what “100 grams of protein” may look like it is best to weigh your food daily. In fact, it is even suggested, especially at the beginning of the diet, that you check the list of allowable foods and amounts often, perhaps even making a checklist to make sure you do not accidentally use the same component twice.
Tip #2: Hydration is key
You are only allowed to drink water, coffee, or tea with artificial sweeteners while on HCG. Actually, it is expected that you should be drinking 2 liters of water a day in order to remain hydrated and to avoid retaining water. Drinking too much coffee without water can be harmful, as coffee can act as a diuretic and could dehydrate you.
Tip # 3: Substitutions
There are some possible substitutions available to those who can’t or won’t eat what is on the above list, but they are few and could affect your weight loss. For instance, in rare cases you may substitute one whole egg and three egg whites, poached or boiled, or otherwise cooked without additives, for a serving of meat. The only cheese allowed is cottage cheese made from skimmed milk, 100 grams of which could also be substituted for the meat.
Tip #4: Vegan HCG diet
Vegetarians may still use HCG by substituting 500 ml (roughly 17 oz) of milk or curds as their protein base. However, vegetarians tend to lose less weight because of the sugar content in milk. Dr. Simeons did not create a vegan diet for HCG, though sticking to his rule of 500 calories with 200 grams (7 oz.) of fat-free protein and a small amount of starch should give similar results. However, all foods not listed on the above list might have different compositions that can adversely affect the diet and cause weight loss to be slower, or less effective.
Tip #5: Spitting meals
You may also split your meals to eat more consistently throughout the day. For instance you can save an apple in order to have it before you go to bed or keep a breadstick for an afternoon snack. Meals cannot be separated in order to have an extra breadstick for dinner, all meal sizes are the maximum amount you should be eating at one time. If ever you feel you are full enough that you do not need to eat everything allowable for the day that is
fine.
Tip #6: Use of Cosmetics and Body Lotions containing oil
Cosmetics containing fats and oils can have an adverse affect on the HCG diet as your skin will absorb and metabolize a portion of these ingredients. Though this is less important than dietary requirements, if you notice you are not losing as much as expected or even experience weight gain during the diet, it may be your cosmetics, shampoos, and other beauty products that are the cause.
Tip # 7: Exercising on HCG
While exercise is not necessary or recommended while on the HCG diet you can exercise moderately. If you exercised regularly before the diet you can continue the same amount of exercise while using HCG. It is not recommended you begin an exercise regimen in conjunction with the HCG diet, as this can cause you to burn more calories than your body is used to while at the same time eating much less. Even when continuing a regimen which you started well before using HCG, people sometimes are hungrier than they would be in a less active lifestyle. Some people recommend that if you do exercise you should be eating 1000 calories a day, but it is best to attempt the 500 calorie diet at first, and change if you are finding yourself too hungry. If after a week of taking HCG, and this includes the gorge period, you find yourself unusually hungry it might be advisable to somewhat increase your diet. One way to increase your diet is to add an extra apple, 150 grams (approx. 5 oz.) of meat, or two or three extra
breadsticks. At Renaissance Medical Aesthetics in Orange County, California our qualified physicians, physician’s assistants, and nurses are available to support you in making the appropriate food choices.
Tip # 8: Musclular Fatigue
Some people, towards the end of the program, experience muscular fatigue. Towards the end of a full course, when a good deal of fat has been rapidly lost, some patients complain that lifting a weight or climbing stairs requires a greater muscular effort than before. They feel neither breathlessness nor exhaustion but simply that their muscles have to work harder. This phenomenon, which disappears soon after the end of the treatment, is caused by the removal of abnormal fat deposited between, in, and around the muscles. The removal of this fat makes the muscles too long, and so in order to achieve a certain skeletal movement – say the bending of a leg – the muscles have to perform greater contraction than before. Within a short while the muscle adjusts itself perfectly to the new situation, but under HCG the loss of fat is so rapid that this adjustment cannot keep up with it. Patients often have to be reassured that this does not mean that they are “getting weak”. This phenomenon does not occur in patients who regularly take vigorous exercise and continue to do so during treatment.
Tip # 8 : Post HCG Diet
After completing your course of HCG, whether for 23 or 40 days, and the 3 days on the 500 calorie diet without the injections, you then must complete a 3 week maintenance period. At this point you may eat anything you like except for starches or sugar. It is best to avoid or limit carbohydrates such as potatoes, bread, pastries, rice, and sugar. However, fats and proteins are much more forgiving and can be eaten in desired proportions. During this period you must also consistently weigh yourself every morning before eating breakfast, as mentioned before, weighing yourself at different times throughout the day can show fluctuations in weight that do not truly reflect day-to-day weight loss or gain.
Tip # 9 : Repeating the HCG diet
If after repeating two cycles of the HCG diet, additional weight loss is desired then it is recommended that a six week break be taken. The main reason for this is that some people can develop a temporary immunity to HCG. Continuing the program for longer can mean that you are on a 500 calorie diet without the help of HCG and you could lose precious muscle mass in addition to fat loss. If you have completed the diet and wish to lose more weight it is advisable to wait six weeks and then do another 23 or 40 day cycle.
Tip #10: Weigh in every morning
It is important to weigh yourself every morning during all phases of the HCG diet to track your progress. If you weigh yourself after you have emptied your bladder one day, then you should continue to do so the same time each day. You should avoid weighing yourself throughout the day as weight fluctuates constantly and is affected by many factors. The most accurate account of your weight loss will come from consistently weighing yourself at the same time each day. You should also be getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to be well rested and less likely to feel the need for extra food. At Renaissance Medical Aesthetis, we recommend B12 lipotropic injections in addition to the HCG for increased energy.
