Lose Weight with the HCG Diet

You can lose many inches and pounds on the original HCG diet created in 1950.

The HCG diet was developed by Dr. A.T.W Simeons in1950 in order to help obese patients lose weight fast. Eating a very low calorie diet and HCG injections from a doctor or naturopath resets your metabolism hormonally so that it is a fat burning one. You lose weight by lowering your food intake to 500 calories a day while taking weekly injections of the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone (HCG). The combination of the restricted calorie diet with the appetite suppressing and fat-burning qualities of the HCG hormone succeeds in helping people drop a pound a day for forty days or more.

HCG is only effective if taken by injection.

HCG drops are available on the market, but they are not as effective as the injections, as orally ingested hormones are unable to permeate human cell wall barriers. The advice in this VisiHow article about fast weight loss is based on the original strict protocol developed by Dr. W.T.A. Simeons.

When you are on this diet you can expect:

• To lose a pound or more a day
• To lose inches every where on your body including calves, thighs, waist, belly, hips, arms and breasts
• Lower blood pressure
• Lowered cholesterol levels
• Feeling calm and centered
• An improvement in mood
• Less joint and muscle pain
• Very saggy skin as is typical of this type of diets that feature extreme fast weight loss
• Yeast infections in the creases saggy skin due to the detoxification process, which can be treated with a mineral-based diaper rash ointment

Saggy skin can be a side-effect of extreme weight loss.

1. 1
   Find a physician, dietitian or naturopath who is willing to write a prescription for HCG and administer HCG injections for you

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   HCG is usually administered in small doses of twenty units or less. Schedule your weekly appointments for injections with that doctor or facilitator.

   

   HCG injections should be administered under medical supervisision.

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2. 2
   Cancel gym memberships and appoints for physical recreation

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   For the next forty days you will not have much energy for anything except for a walk. That is because you will be only eating about 500 calories a day. If you exercise, you will gain weight and you risk putting yourself in a severe calorie deficit that could cause heart problems. Do not do any heavy weightlifting, while you are on this diet.

   

   A casual stroll is the most you should attempt while on the HCG diet.

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3. 3
   Buy a supply of mineral or glycerin based cosmetics, lotions and creams

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   This is a very strict part of the protocol for successful weight loss while you are on the HCG diet. Do not use oil-based cosmetics, lotions or creams as the HCG can pull the oil or fats into your body and cause you to gain weight. Mineral based cosmetic brands include Almay, Aveda, Bare Minerals, Laura Mercier and the M.A.C Mineralize line of makeup. Glycerin based moisturizers or pure Aloe Vera gel is recommended for your skin. You are also allowed to use Vaseline as a lip treatment and as a moisturizer.

   

   Vaseline is a moisturizer permitted on the HCG diet.

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4. 4
   Buy an oil-free shampoo and soap

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   Choose shampoos and soaps without any oils or fats. Glycerin soap is a good choice. Wash your hair with a bar of soap if need be. Recommended glycerin soap brands that you can use on this diet include Pears, The Body Shop, Lush and Neutrogena. These soaps should also be used for shaving anywhere on the body.

   

   Glycerin soap is the only soap allowed for use while you are on the HCG diet.

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5. 5
   Get a manageable haircut that does not require conditioning or styling

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   You are not allowed to use any hair conditioner on this diet so cutting your hair in a style that does not require much management is a good idea.

   

   An easy-to-handle hair style is recommended while you are on the HCG diet as you are not allowed to use conditioner or tyling products.

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6. 6
   Shop for the foods you will need in on the diet

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   It is important to stock up on the allowed seasonings, and to make sure that you have plenty of water, both sparkling and spring water, on hand. The HCG diet shopping list is in the next section, so choose your preferred proteins and vegetables and buy as fresh and organic as possible. It is recommended that you drink at least a gallon of water a day in one form or another to completely flush your system.

   

   Shop for everything you need before you start the HCG diet.

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7. 7
   Begin Phase 1 (The Gorging Phase) of the HCG Diet; this phase lasts 2 days

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   Get your first weekly injection, and then for two days eat anything you want. This loading phase of the diet encourages you to eat all of your favorite fatty and high carb foods. This has a satiating effect on your hunger that apparently prompts you to endure starvation later on in the diet.

   

   Gorge on your favorite high-calorie treats during Phase I of the HCG diet.

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8. 8
   Begin Phase 2 (Weekly Injections Plus 500 Calorie A Day) of the HCG Diet

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   this phase lasts from Day 3 to Day 40. You may have 400 grams of the protein of your choice plus a serving of just one of the allowed vegetables at that meal. Some people divide up the protein portion into two 250 gram portions. You can have two fruits a day, one serving of Melba toast (2 crackers), a handful of almonds and all of the coffee, tea or water that you want.

   

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9. 9
   Begin Phase 3 (500 - 1200 Calories a Day With No Injections); this phase lasts Day 41 to 48 days

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   During this phase you are technically off the diet and can gently begin to introduce carbs and other foods into your daily diet. Most people start with broth, fruits and juices to get their bodies used to eating again.

   

   Ease out of the calorie-restrictive phase of the diet by drinking bone broth.

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10. 10
    Begin the Maintenance Phase 4 (1500 Calories a Day plus regular exercise)

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    this phase lasts for a lifetime. During this phase you will avoid sugar, refined foods, foods with additives and all simple starches such as breads and pastas. One o the best eating lifestyles to embark on after this diet is The Paleo Diet, which excludes starches and sugar and which is mostly protein, nuts, fruits and vegetables. You can also begin to exercise as you normally do again.

    

    In the maintenance part of the diet you can exercise with weights again,

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Four Melba toasts is all you will be able to consume in terms of bread so be sure to put it on your HCG diet shopping list.

For the diet to be successful, you must not consume anything that is not on this list.

• Beverages: coffee, Tea, Water, Sparkling Water, Herbal Teas
• Sweeteners: stevia or Truvia
• Fruit: strawberries, Apples, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Grapefruit
• Melba Toast: Grissini brand unflavoured Melba toast or breadsticks
• Powdered Spices: All spices allowed except for MSG but the less spice you lose, the more likely you are to lose weight.
• Fresh herbs: coriander, parsley, dill, rosemary, sage, rosemary and thyme are allowed on the HCG diet
• Proteins: beef, chicken, veal, fish, crab, lobster, cod, halibut, sole, flounder
• Vegetables: kale, spinach, Swiss chard, chicory, beet greens, dandelion greens, red lea lettuce, endive, ice berg lettuce, fennel, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers and asparagus
• Nuts: plain almonds

Almonds contain the essential fatty acids that you need to stay healthy on the low-calorie HCG diet.

Dried or pickled versions of these foods are not allowed and all visible fat must be removed from all meats before cooking. The preferable method of cooking is grilling or broiling.

Broiling is a preferred method for cooking protein.

A Spanx support garment can help with any sagging skin issues.

• To deal with sagging skin it is recommended that you wear Spanx or similar support garments to pull skin up and train it to "pull in again."
• Weigh yourself every day; with this diet the initial weight loss results can be very inspiring and help you stick with it
• Take your measurements every day, as the number of inches that peel off most people while they are on this diet is also very impressive
• Drink as much water as you possibly can on this diet, up to a gallon a day and flavor it with lemons

Lemon water with ice is a good choice for a veverage while you are on the HCG diet.

• You are allowed to use lemon juice as dressing on vegetables
• When at a restaurant, order a steak with iceberg lettuce and no dressing to keep you on track and drink tea or coffee with a lot of water
• Do not drink alcohol on this diet as one glass of wine could account for half of your 500 calorie a day allowance and cause you to gain weight
• It is important to eat a single vegetable at a meal and not mix it up: salads are not allowed although eating vegetables as raw as possible is recommended.
• All visible fat must be removed from proteins and baked or grilled are the preferable methods of cooking
• It is normal for your skin to feel oily or a bit greasy while you are on this diet; scrubbing with a loofah or a bamboo hand scrubber is recommended
• Be sure to get plenty of sleep on this diet to avoid hormonally related mood swings.
  

  Getting enough sleep helps avoid hormonal mood swings caused by HCG.
• If you stall and reach a weight-loss plateau while you are on this weight loss plan, eat nothing but apples all day and four ounces of steak for dinner and do this for as many days as it takes you to get back on the "pound a day" weight loss that is typical of HCG injections.
• Do not get a manicure or false nails during this process as there are too many oils and chemicals involved in the process are too toxic and can cause weight gain
• Do not get your hair chemically processed during this diet as the HCG can cause you to absorb chemicals through your scalp
• Keeping the weight off after you are done the diet can be challenging if you revert to your old eating and lifestyle habits, so be sure to adopt healthy lifestyle habits

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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