HCG Foods & FAQs
The 600-800 Calorie HCG Diet Protocol
The HCG Diet is actually a very simple diet program that requires the dieter to use HCG Injections on a daily basis. When the HCG Diet was originally introduced by Dr. Simeons, the diet was restricted to only 500 calories. Keep in mind that the HCG Diet first came out over 50 years ago. Since then, the world of nutrition science is light years ahead of where it was, and any healthcare professional or nutritionist knows that 500 calories is too low. Today, most dieters use the 800 Calorie HCG Diet. Below, I will outline the 800 Calorie HCG Diet Protocol.
HCG Diet Phases
The HCG Diet is categorized into 4 phases:
Phase 1: Loading
Phase 2: Low Calorie Diet
Phase 3: Diet Break
Phase 4: Transition and Maintenance
Phase 1: Loading
During the Loading Phase the dieter will take HCG Injections each morning and eat as much as they can for two full days. This overeating period with HCG Shots will maximize fat loss hormones, and prime the body to start burning fat. Glycogen stores in the lover and muscle will be filled to capacity, and the body will begin burning more calories. Carbohydrates are especially important in this phase.
Phase 2: Low Calorie Diet
Phase 2 is run in rounds of 4-6 weeks, and between each round the dieter should take a 2-3 week diet break. The Diet Break is outlined in Phase 3. The length of the round should mostly be determined by the rate at which you are losing weight. If weight loss is too slow during the fourth week, it's likely that the body needs a diet break. However, if you are still losing weight at a fast pace (3-4lbs per week), you could continue on for a total of 6 weeks.
Phase 3: Diet Break
Phase 3 is a controlled diet break between the Phase 2 HCG Diet rounds which lasts 3 weeks. This break allows the body to again recognize an increase of calories, in order to increase metabolic rate. During this phase, It is recommended to have an extra serving of protein any time of the day, and add 40g serving of starchy carbohydrates toward the end of the day. This will keep insulin sensitivity high, and percent you from being hungry throughout the day. Starchy carbs include the following:
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Potatoes - 1 medium
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Rice - 1 cup, cooked
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Oatmeal - 1 cup, cooked
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Quinoa - 1 cup, cooked
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Whole Wheat Bread - 2 slices
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Pasta - 1 cup
Phase 4: Transition and Maintenance
After a dieter has achieved their highest level of success with the HCG Diet, they will proceed to follow the Transition and Maintenance Phase. Because each person is different, we VERY strongly recommend speaking with a diet coach that specializes in the HCG Diet.
Big boned or just overweight? The Body Mass Index can tell.
Do you need to diet, or are you carrying just a few extra pounds? That’s a key health question, because knowing when your weight tips toward obese can be help cut off potentially life-threatening, weight-related illnesses.
One standard to gauge if someone is in the healthy weight range is the Body Mass Index, a number calculated from a person’s weight and height.
While BMI does not directly measure body fat, it is a straightforward, inexpensive way tell if someone’s weight might put them at greater risk for health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, BMI is only a guide. If someone had a high BMI, a physician might consider additional assessments, such as measuring the thickness of a fold skin around the waist, diet, physical activity and family history.
BMI, however, can offer the first warning sign. And because it’s based on an average of the population, BMI allows someone to see how he or she compares.
Understanding BMI
In adults, people who are at least 20 years old, BMI is calculated in the same way for men and women. Children and teenagers, however, are divided into age- and sex-specific groups.
BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight by the square of his or her height. That resulting number is then divided by 703, which allows conversion into a metric number.
For example, someone who is 5-feet, 5-inches tall, and who weighs 150 pounds would have a BMI of 24.96.
Someone with a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight. Normal falls into the rage of 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight is from 25 to 29.9.
Anyone with a BMI above 30 falls into the obese range. But remember, a high BMI is only one indicator a person might carry an unhealthy amount of weight.
If your BMI falls into the range of overweight or obese, consider consulting with a physician.
Big boned, or overweight? The BMI index offers one way to tell?
A well-muscled athlete might weigh more, and be far healthier, than a pudgy person who is the same height. So if that’s the case, how can the Body Mass Index be accurate? After all, the index calculates a person’s weight and height to end up with a number indicating if someone tips the scales into a healthy, or unhealthy, range.And, the BMI index for adults does not consider gender, so the ranges are the same for men and women.
The BMI, however, does show a fairly strong tie between the index and body fatness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, there are variations for sex, race, and age.
At the the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.
Older people tend to have more body fat than younger adults.
That super fit athlete’s high BMI might be from muscle, not fat.
In recent years, the accuracy of usefulness of the BMI index have been challenge.The CDC emphasizes that the index is only one factor to consider when evaluating if someone’s weight puts them at additional risk for disease.
