HCG Diet Rules
There are many crazy diets out there but hCG must be one of the most bizarre.
The basic concept is simple. Eat 500 calories of non-fat foods. Who wouldn’t lose weight on such a diet? Starvation will result in weight loss. Always.
There is more to the diet than the simple starvation rule though. Basically:
- Start out with 2 days of “loading” aka binge eating. High fat is recommended but most people do high carbs as well. Example of what one dieter ate in during her two days:
you have to really load up on fat and goodies…Really I ate like a mad woman and only gained 6lbs (I thought it would be closer to 20).
Breakfast the first day for me was
8 strips of bacon
4 eggs friend in the bacon
cheesy grits with tons of real butter and american cheese
cheese cake (about 1/2 of one)Lunch:
pork ribs (about 14) boy were they goood
chips
all sorts of sweets/brownies, cheesecake brownies/a cream cheese danish – the huge round one yummmmmy
avocado
I’m very sure there was more food here, but I just can’t recallDinner:
Full fat hamburger (I made it so it would be filled with fat and thick)
tator tots
more cheesy grits
oreo cookies (the vanilla kind)
chinese pork fried riceThe 2nd day was a blur, but I had an entire cheesecake (cherry) for breakfast I know I had a foot long meatball sub with mozz cheese in there somewhere
avocados
cookies
- Enter the VLCD days and eat less than 500 calories for a period of 21 – 40 days.
- Next, do a lowcarb maintenance period of 3 weeks. Check the scale every day and more than 2 pounds weight gain warrants a “steak day” where only one steak and a tomato is allowed for dinner. No breakfast and no lunch.
- Finally, another 3 week period where carbs (except sugar and starches) are slowly reintroduced, again with carefully checking the scale for any gain and immediately correcting it.
- Repeat these four steps until desired weight is reached.
Most people don’t maintain well, and many skip the period when carbs are reintroduced and instead go back to loading and a new round of starvation.
Doesn’t this look like a prescription for an Eating Disorder?
While these basic phases seem simple, there are more very specific rules for the diet. There is a list of allowed non-fat foods for the 500 calorie plan and no deviation at all is allowed, no matter that the list was written 50 years ago by a British doctor in Italy, Dr. Simeons.
- Breakfast: Tea or coffee without sugar. 1 tbs milk. Saccharin or other sweeteners may be used.
- Lunch: 3.5 oz of veal, beef, chicken breast, white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp; raw weight. All visible fat must be removed. One type of vegetable: spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage. (DO NOT MIX VEGGIES! Stalls are often blamed on dieters having TWO vegetables at the same meal.) One breadstick or one Melba toast. An apple, orange, handful of strawberries or half a grape-fruit.
- Dinner: Same choices as lunch.
It doesn’t stop there. No lotions or cosmetics with oil are permitted. People are even told to avoid handling fatty meat. They believe that enough fat is absorbed through the skin to cause weight gain, or a stall!
The homeopathic version, hhCG, has even more rules. These concern the handling of the drops or spray. The drops or sprays do not contain any hCG at all, just the “spirit” or “memory” of it, following homeopathic conventions. These “spirits” seem to be very sensitive. Gently tap the bottle, do not shake. Keep away from electronics and electrical fields. Don’t store it close to your PC, cell phone, TV, or anything else that may upset the spirits. Then they will not work. Oh, the spirit doesn’t like mint either. Avoid toothpaste or gum with mint!
The belief in hCG injections or hhCG is absolute. hCG is credited with:
- loss of appetite
- rapid weight loss
- muscle weakness
plus a host of other symptoms that all would show up following a 500 calorie starvation diet without hCG. Just ask the people that tried Kimkins. Or people that water fast.
I wonder if “the good Dr. Simeon” actually believed himself that the minuscule hCG dose administered had any effect. My guess is no. He just wanted his patients to believe it. How could he otherwise charge for the shots? Just telling them to eat 500 calories on their own would not help fill his pockets.
In some ways, the hCG diet is smarter than Kimkins. Kimkins was continuous starvation until goal, and/or illness, whichever occurred first. The hCG protocol tells you to stop the 500 calorie period after 21 – 40 days. Dr. Simeons claimed that the reason is that the body becomes immune to hCG at that point and extreme hunger develops.He said:
Though this phenomenon is well known, we cannot as yet define the underlying mechanism.
What a coincidence then that exactly the same thing happened on Kimkins without hCG. People did not have much problems with the restrictive VLDC until week 4 or 5.
It’s not immunity to the minuscule hCG dose (or the non-existent hCG in the homeopathic version) that occur. It’s the body screaming for nutrition! A completely natural response to starvation. That is the “underlying mechanism” that Dr. Simeons failed to understand.
Even Dr. Simeons himself admits that the diet is nutritionally bankrupt:
During treatment the patient has been only just above the verge of protein deficiency……..Unless an adequate amount of protein is eaten as soon as the treatment is over protein deficiency is bound to develop, and this inevitably causes the marked retention of water known as hunger-edema.
Another misconception is that the hCG somehow “resets the hypothalamus” so not only will weight loss be permanent but they are supposed to be able to eat like “normal” people as well. Dr. Simeons doesn’t say anything about the hypothalamus (I don’t know where that came from but it’s often repeated on hCG boards) and in fact, Dr. Simeons indicates that people do this diet over and over again.
Patients who have once taken the treatment never seem to hesitate to come back for another short course as soon as they notice that their weight is once again getting out of hand. They come quite cheerfully and hopefully, assured that they can be helped again.
I think this diet is dangerous. Even when limiting to 3 or 4 weeks, the 7 oz (raw weight) protein is not enough to prevent muscle loss. I also think it promotes disordered eating. Two days of binging, followed by starvation and then a LC period where regain is common.
And when you look at the average weight loss over the entire 9 weeks diet, it is not very impressive compared to other diets. Dr. Simeons suggests 0.5 pounds per day for the average woman. So, 21 days x 0.5 lbs = 10.5 lbs (minus any gain from the “loading”). Then six more weeks of maintaining (which few do). This is only a little over a pound per week!
Why not settle for a reasonable, healthy diet that can be followed long term? Yo-yo dieting always seems to end up with a resulting weight gain and a never ending cycle of starvation and binges.
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Comments
i would be lying if tere doesnt appear to be a shiload of people tryingthis ridiculous thing. after everything people have gone through, this ‘medical’ creation is BOUND to backfire on the body through cortisol and the adrenals…
its funny people think they can outsmart their bodies, really.
Have you even tried it? I’m on it and yes it is weird. The first week I was tired but the second week I got my energy back and I am working out again. I would admit that 500 cals is darn low – but I honestly don’t think I can workout the way I am if something isn’t happening. BTW – I don’t know about the drops or homeopathic versions. Mine is prescribed by a doctor (yeah a real one). I’ve heard that fake stuff won’t do jack. I’ve been on it for two weeks and I’ve lost 13lbs and two inches off my waist. So that is a bit less than a pound a day. I don’t pretend to know what is all going on but it works for me. There’s stuff I doubt (like watching what kind of toothpaste or lotion you use) or even not exercising. I work out – though I’m not hitting my max lifts.
Anyway, everyone has their opinions, but mine is based on real work – not guesses. Try something before you blow hot air. And if you try it – make sure it’s the real deal. The real stuff does cost some money – not the 9.99 drops.
I have been looking into HCG, also. I totally agree that it’s a prescription for disordered eating… big time. The loading binge is unreal. 500 calories a day is anorexic type eating behavior. Not only is it too low, it’s so low it’s not even enough to maintain basic body functions (if you were to remain in bed all day!) like heart rate, temperature, respiration, etc. Those functions are essential and if you’re not supplying the nutrition they need, your body will start taking what it needs from your muscles (the heart is a muscle!).
The fear of fat is ridiculous, too. So while you’re not eating any fats you can’t even use them to soothe your dried out skin? The right fats are beneficial and necessary for a healthy body.
The main focus should be on health, not on weight loss. Losing weight in a dangerous way will harm your health and what good is it if you’re thin and have damaged your body in the process? What if you can’t reverse that damage?
Starvation always works for weight loss but in the long run the cost of the shots/drops/spirits are going to pale in comparison to the cost to health.
Great article.
Smith, considering your weight loss to be “real work,” when discussing the safeness of your method to lose it would fall under guessing, in my opinion. The real work is in researching what your body needs to survive and supplying those needs. Researching the studies behind a product before basing it’s safeness on weight loss results. Researching the dangers/benefits of a very low calorie diet. Researching the person(s) behind the product you’re planning on using. I know how easy it is to choose weight loss over all of these things and consider the process to be a safe one based solely on the numbers on a scale. I learned my lesson the hard way. I fell for the Kimkins diet scam because I wanted fast results. Please be careful, stay safe, and look into this more deeply.
Personally I love this diet. I don’t like diet, and I am not a big fan of the gym…but this program is awesome and it works! I am a 34 year old Female 5′3 in height and I’m on my 2nd week and I’ve gone from 152 to 140lbs so far. I am not tired and rarely hungry, if so a cup of green tea does the trick. I don’t have the side effect I get from fasting…no headaches, exhustion, shaking…in fact my energy level is above my norm. I am not loosing muscle mass, just stored fat (2000-4000 calories of it a day) …and from the places I never could loose it before. I don’t find the food boring, and Phase 3 isn’t impossible…
I have meet several people over the last few weeks that have lost 20-50 pounds on the diet. They have not had any weight gain stick..if they do gain 2 pounds they go into a Steak day and they are back on track.
I know there are several fake HCG providers, I am going through a christian based company called The Tree For Life out in LV. I’m very happy with my process so far….beyond happy!
I’m totally happy with the HCG diet. I see a lot of negativity from people who haven’t tried it, but I’ve done it and it works and I had no problem maintaining afterward. Just putting my experience out there.
I have personally tried the diet and it works great im on my second session but fair warning it can become addicting andi kknow people who have become far too obsessed with it after 40 days
I agree with smith. you really should try it before you bash it. This is my last option before I go for weight loss surgery. I have been over weight the majority of my life and can’t handle it anymore. I have tried everything, including corrective eating, exercise, weight loss classes, etc.. nothing works for me so this is my last chance before the doctors go for the surgical option.
I have not started the diet yet, I start tomrrow. I think this diet has the potential to form good habits for eatting as well, like the veggies and small portions of food. I think you have to be mental prepared for this diet and no its not for everyone. People here (on this blog) are saying how this is going to form eating disorders, well over-eating and being obese is a disorder as well. Over the course of the 500 cal days your stomach is going to shrink and so as long as you don’t over eat by stuffing yourself full and then sum after the initial 21 – 40 days, you shouldn’t be able to eat more than a small serving of whatever you are eating and you should stick to healthier foods. People are looking for a way to eat the crap like McDonalds or Burger King and not gain any weight back, well that is unrealistic!
Anyone in their right mind knows 500cals/day is not going to cut it. In fact, to keep your body out of starvation mode you are supposed to consume 1200 cal and 32 fat grams per day if you are not exercising and exerting excessive energy.
I am really excited to start this diet! My co worker has lost 20lbs in 23 days! (she is going the 40 day route on this)
There are directions to take supplements so you don’t become vitamine and mineral deprived also.
Anyways, like smith said, everyone is entitled to their own opinions…I just think people need to consider that there are people out their, like me, that can potentially benefit from this diet and this diet has the potential to save lives and costly hospital bills if done right!
I’m very happy with the hcg diet I did it in dec for the 28 day cycle..in the 28 days I lost 30lbs…the loading days were the worst days of it just because u have to eat SO MUCH..thru out the 28 days I never got extremeley tired..and I’m a server so if I was going to I’m sure I wuld have..never got headaches muscle aches or any ill side effect…to this day I’ve maintained the weight within the 2lb mark and am starting another round….I would tell anybody to at least give it a go if u feel like nothing else works
I bought green HCG had to pay $16.50 for shipping and he bottle came without any instruction, I emaile them and they sent me email for 2nd order with free shipping and promised me that it will come with materials. Again this one came without one. Now they do not respond to anything. Green HCG
taste like water. Looks like I paid for 2 bottles of water. First time $66.50 and 2nd tine $49.99. I have been having cramps in legs and arms. In 1 week that I am on diet lost only 3 lbs.
I bought green HCG had to pay $16.50 for shipping and he bottle came without any instruction, I emailed them and they sent me email for 2nd order with free shipping and promised me that it will come with materials. Again this one came without one. Now they do not respond to anything. Green HCG
taste like water. Looks like I paid for 2 bottles of water. First time $66.50 and 2nd tine $49.99. I have been having cramps in legs and arms. In 1 week that I am on diet lost only 3 lbs. looks like green HCG really do not have HCG in it
The HCG diet is not for everyone, obviously. For me, it was recommended by two doctors, including a “real” internist, as a last resort before weightloss surgery. I lost 23 pounds in 26 days. I have a lot more weight to lose, but I hope it has jump-started my metabolism.
I was surprised at how little hunger I felt and at the level of energy I had. It sounds so unhealthy, but I feel great!
People who criticize this diet without trying it know nothing about it. I have tried everything and have not been able to get rid of this abdominal fat. I am taking the homeopathic drops and I am amazed how well they work. I have lost 7 # so far. One thing to consider is that a lot if people wanting to lose weight already have an eating disorder. Surgery is not without risks.
I personally feel great and more clear-headed. Nothing works for everyone and you have to be very motivated.
The first week I had headaches and leg cramps. The headaches wemt away. I took potassium supplements for the leg cramps.
Personally I am grateful I found this.
I am going to start this diet in three days and i am very excited. I saw what it do to a friend and the look was amazing , don’t judge but be motivated an try it your self esteem will soar
Are you supposed to have a life while following this diet? The binge days would have me tired, uncomfortable, bloated, & heartburny and the low cal days would have me irritable and unable to concentrate. This diet was originally created for “ladies of leisure” wasn’t it? Now I know why!