Which HCG Diet is the Most Difficult?

Weight loss on the HCG diet is rapid and easy. The typical amount of weight lost in a month is 30lbs, and that is just staggering. The trick, though, is to stick to the HCG diet protocol faithfully. Any deviations can significantly reduce your weight loss results. The HCG diet protocol is divided into 3 phases. Often, people ask which phase of the HCG diet is more important, and that is really a tough question. Each phase is quite different from the others and serves a very specific purpose on the path to weight loss.

Phase 1 of the HCG diet is known as the “loading phase.” It lasts for two days and during this time you are to eat as many high fat foods as possible while taking daily HCG injections. This loading phase is important because the excess calories you eat will be stored as fat in a very special way. This fat will be slowly lost over the course of phase 2 of the diet and will help keep you from starving. The best kinds of foods to eat during phase 1 of the HCG diet are going to be calorie dense, fatty foods. Things like cheese and fried foods are good options here. Avoid too many sugary foods and starchy foods, even thought they may be high in calories or fat. Opt instead for things that have fat and protein as opposed to fat and carbs. If you want something sweet, eat cheesecake or custard, not cookies or donuts.

During phase 2 your diet will change drastically. This phase lasts about 21 – 28 days, during which you will eat only 500 calories a day from a list of approved foods, while continuing with your HCG injections. These foods are limited to lean meats, certain fruits and vegetables, and no sugars or starches. The fiber you receive will come in the form of melba toast, grissino bread sticks and natural fiber found in vegetables. Remaining true to the 500 calorie a day limit is crucial for the weight loss effects in phase 2. You can expect to lose anywhere from .5lbs to 2lbs a day during this period, provided that you do not deviate from the list of approved foods. Phase 2 is often regarded as the most difficult phase of the diet, and this is the phase where HCG diet dangers are expected, but watching the pounds melt off your body should be a powerful motivator to help keep you on the straight and narrow.

Phase 3 is known as the stabilization phase. This phase lasts 3 weeks and no HCG injections are to be taken. During this phase, you are to increase your daily caloric intake while paying particular attention to your body weight. You should not allow your weight to fluctuate more than 2lbs above or below your last recorded body weight at the end of phase 2. Once this 3 week period is over, you can gradually begin to reintroduce sugars and starches into your diet, but should do so only sparingly to avoid putting the weight back on.

Dr. Simeons, the researcher who first discovered the weight loss benefits associated with HCG says that phase 3 is the most important of all the phases, and he’s probably right. The rapid weight loss experienced on this diet can leave your body a bit confused, and you need to bring it back to a place of homeostasis so that it recognizes the new body weight as the right one. If not, your body may do everything it can to put weight back on and destroy the hard won weight loss you experienced during phase 2.