Meal Planning for the HCG Diet
While it may seem like the rapid weight loss that is associated with the hCG diet is nothing short of a miracle, the reality is that the effectiveness of hCG is due almost entirely to the properties of a single, natural hormone that human bodies have been producing for hundreds of thousands of years.
But hCG supplements does not do all the work on its own. In order to take full advantage of the weight loss possibilities, users will need to implement a specially designed meal plan with the goal of providing the hCG with the perfect conditions to do its job.
Fortunately, this meal plan is not as taxing as those fad diets can be. Here is a quick walkthrough of the three essential phases of the hCG diet.
1. The Loading Phase
This is the fun phase. It lasts for 2 days, during which you are expected to consume 250 grams of fat per day. To achieve this, you should focus on high-fat foods, instead of high carbs.
Breakfast foods that are “in-play” include bacon, sausage, bagels, cheeses, ham, whole eggs, butter, and heavy cream, all in small portions. Lunch would be a generous serving of any kind of meat, sautéed or roasted with oil, then served with potatoes, cream, butter, and vegetables. For dinner, you could go with pasta, topped with a heavy sauce, French bread, garlic butter, cheese, and your favorite dressing. Snacks are allowed in this phase. Doughnuts, ice-cream, cookies, and nuts are good options.
2. The Active Diet Phase
This phase lasts between 3 – 6 weeks, depending on how much weight you’re looking to lose. However, it is recommended that hCG dieters take a break at the 6 week mark.
During this phase, calorie restriction is the name of the game. Ideally, dieters would be aiming for no more than 500 calories per day, while also aiming for 200g of protein per day, split into two servings. While this might sound daunting, it is entirely possible with the natural appetite-suppressing qualities of hCG.
In order to stay below the calorie requirement, the meats have to be lean. We’re talking beef, chicken breast, veal, or white fish. For breakfast, coffee or tea will do. Lunch and dinner will consist of 100g protein each, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit. Your pick of vegetables ranges from asparagus, cabbage, chard, cucumber, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Celery, Onions Fennel, Zucchini, Spinich, Chard. For fruits, you can go with Apples, Strawberries Oranges or gratefuit.
3. The Maintenance Phase
If you’ve moved to this phase, congratulations.
Here is the maintenance program explained in more detail,
STEP BY STEP:
Step 1: Stop taking your drops and continue VLCD for 3 days.
Step 2: During this time, figure out your BMR (base metabolic rate: the number calories you can consume to maintain your exact weight) I really like this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
Step 3: Review the Glycemic Index and chose foods moderate to low on the scale. This will give you a more detailed idea of foods that are a good idea to eat during this time.
Step 4: AVOID SUGARS AND STARCHES DURING THESE 3 WEEKS! It is very important to read your ingredient labels during this time, as everything seems to contain sugar these days.. and if its listed within the first 5 ingredients, it is highly recommended to avoid it.
Step 5: DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF! It is essential to eat the necessary amount of calories your body needs to maintain, or your body will begin to retain fat again, since there will be no HCG in your system at this point. For most people this is roughly 1500 calories per day.
Proteins, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and low fat dairy are all allowed during this time.
Step 6: After these 3 weeks are completed, you can then gradually (meaning not everyday at first) re-introduce grains and natural sugars back in (refined sugar, or HFCS are not recommended for at least another week or two..if at all) Its best to start with whole grains, such as rice, and again, for best results do not begin to each starches and sugars every day for another week or so.
