What is hCG?
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced in large quantities during the early stages of pregnancy to help ensure adequate nutrition for the developing baby. It is also present in times of starvation to help a person survive a severe lack of adequate nutrition.
How Do HCG Diet Drops Work?
When the body is experiencing a very low-calorie diet, HCG communicates with the hypothalamus (which is responsible for maintaining the body’s homeostasis, including metabolic rate and fat storage) to let it know it can start the process of using long-term stored body fat as a primary fuel source. This process essentially turns your unwanted body fat into food for your body to use, so that the weight you lose comes from your fat stores.
How to use HCG Drops on the HCG Diet
Loading – Phase 1
Start by taking the hcg peptide drops as directed: 10-20 drops 3 times a day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once before bedtime. Be sure to hold the drops under your tongue for 30 seconds not eat or drink 15 minutes before or after taking the drops. You then, for two days, must eat as much as you can of high-fat foods such as bacon, nut butter, butter, cheese, ice cream, and pastries. The drops will begin to work so that you will not feel as hungry as you would normally, especially after the first day. It may surprise you how difficult it is to eat so much high-fat food but do your best to eat as much as you can because it will help you achieve greater success overall. If you skimp you may feel hungry and tired when you begin the next phase. Do not worry about the weight you gain. It will be gone, and usually more, after the first few days of the low-calorie diet.
WEIGHT LOSS – Phase 2
Starting on the 3rd day, you will begin the low-calorie portion of the diet. You will eat 2 servings a day in each of the following 4 categories: Proteins, Vegetables, Fruits, and Bread. (See the list of approved foods for more details about what to eat, how to prepare it, and how much a serving size is.) You may spread out the times you eat but do not eat them all at one time. If you have more than 34 pounds to lose, you can take the drops for 6 weeks or more. If you are taking the drops for 6 weeks or more you must stay on the low-calorie diet but not take the drops one day out of every week. This will keep your body from becoming immune to the HCG. When you are at the end of the course, stop taking the drops but continue with the low-calorie diet for 3 more days. This allows the HCG’s effects to wear off. If you still want to lose more weight after finishing a course, wait at least 3 weeks before starting again. Be sure to not eat any sugar or starches during the 3-week break.
STABILIZATION – Phase 3
After you have gone 3 days without drops while maintaining the low-calorie diet, you may begin to add more food. You must continue to avoid foods with sugar and starches for 3 weeks. This means no high-sugar foods like cookies or ice cream, obviously. It also means no bananas, mangoes, potatoes, pasta, or bread. You can now have dairy, fats, oils, nuts, etc. It is best if you add foods back in one at a time so you can see how your body reacts. During this phase, you must stay within 2 pounds of the lowest weight you achieved in during phase 2. In this phase, it is very important to weigh yourself first thing every morning (after using the restroom) so that you have a consistent number to go from. When you go 2 pounds over your lowest achieved weight, you must do a “steak day” on that day. A “steak day” is where you only drink water all day until dinner. For dinner, you will eat a large steak and one tomato/apple. If you do go over, you will know that you either ate something too sugary/starchy or you are having an allergic reaction to a food you ate. When you have a mild allergic reaction to a food, your intestines will swell and retain water, which will manifest itself as weight gain. Through this process, you are able to determine if you have food allergies, so you can avoid those foods in the future.
MAINTENANCE – Phase 4
After the 3 weeks of stabilization, you can begin to add in starches and sugar: bread, potatoes, bananas, mangoes, and sweets. You have been off sugars and starches for several weeks now which will help you to not crave them as much, so it will be easier to make healthy choices. Be careful to not go overboard on the sugars and starches because it is very easy to eat too much of them. Continue to weigh yourself every morning. If you go more than 2 pounds over your lowest achieved weight do a “steak day”, just like you did in phase 3. Be sure to do the “steak day” on the same day that you go over the 2-pound limit; otherwise, it is not as effective. If you follow this simple plan you will be able to maintain your new weight.
ALLOWED hCG DIET FOODS
PROTEIN
Two servings per day
One serving equals 100g/3.5 oz (pre-cooked weight)
Remove all fat from the meat and weigh it before cooking. No oils may be used to cook the meat and beware of spices containing sugar. See our website for delicious recipes.
Chicken
Shrimp
White fish (tilapia, halibut, etc.)
Extra-lean ground beef
Lean cuts of steak
Crab
Veal
VEGETABLES
Two servings per day
(The original protocol is not very specific about the serving sizes of the vegetables, so use your best judgment. You may use the following as a guideline)
One serving equals approximately 200g-400g/6-8 ounces of vegetables.
Do not mix vegetables. Only one vegetable is allowed per meal, although onion can be used as a seasoning. See our website for delicious recipes.
Spinach
Lettuce (romaine, green leaf, red leaf, etc.)
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Celery
Onions
Chard
Fennel
Radishes
Asparagus
Cabbage
Chicory
Beet Greens
BREAD
Two servings
One serving equals 1 piece (do not go by the serving size on the package)
Melba toast is available at most grocery stores. Grissini is available at health food stores and Italian markets.
Melba toast
Grissini
FRUIT
Two servings per day
One serving equals approximately 125g-175g/4-6 ounces of fruit.
Apple
Orange
Grapefruit (usually ½)
Strawberries (about a handful)
BEVERAGES
There is no restriction on the amount, but try to consume at least 2 liters/64 ounces of fluids per day.
Black coffee
Tea (green tea is recommended)
Water
Sparkling water
SWEETENERS
There is no restriction on the amount, however, only stevia and saccharin (sweet ‘n’ low) are allowed in phase 2. No aspartame, no sucralose, no sugar, or any other artificial sweetener is allowed.
SPICES AND SEASONINGS
There is no restriction on types or amounts of spices. Be sure that your seasonings do not contain sugar.
Active Ingredients:
HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadatropin) 6X, 12x, 30x, 60x
L-Arginine, L-Carnitine, L-Ornithine, L-Tyrosine (amino acids) 6X, 12X, 30X, 60X
Inactive Ingredients
USP Ethanol Alcohol 16%
Suggested hcg Drops Use:
Take 10-20 drops 3 times a day as needed for hunger and/or energy. Place drops under the tongue and hold for 1 minute. Do not eat or drink 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after taking the drops. Not recommended for persons under the age of 18.
WARNINGS:
Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if tamper resistant seal is broken, damaged or missing. Consult with a health care professional before using this product.
**For menstruating women it is best to start the diet immediately after your cycle. If menstruation starts during the diet, stop taking the drops but continue with the low calorie diet for up to four days or until the menstruation stops.**