Preliminary HCG Diet Questions
The HCG Diet can be confusing... find awesome answers to the most commonly asked questions HERE!
Below you will find the answers to the following questions...
- Can I skip Phase 1 of the HCG Diet?
- How much weight can I expect to lose while on HCG?
- Do people on HCG injections lose more weight?
- What is a summary of a round of HCG?
- Can I use the HCG meal plan without taking the drops?
- What items do I need to do the HCG Diet?
1.) Can I skip Phase 1 of the HCG Diet? Yes, through years of experience, we have found that HCG Phase 1 is not required. HCG Phase 1 was a term that was coined by Kevin Trudeau, as a phase that includes cleanses and colonics. We follow Dr. Simeons’ HCG manuscript, as he did NOT include HCG Phase 1 as part of the HCG Diet. Since Phase 1 is not a part of Dr. Simeons’ manuscript we consider it completely optional.
2.) How much weight can I expect to lose while on the DIY HCG Diet? Keep in mind that everyone’s bodies are different. Therefore, some people will lose more and some people lose less while on the HCG Diet. HOWEVER, the typical HCG Diet weight loss reported to us by our customers who follow the HCG Protocol correctly has been…drum roll please… 20-30 lbs in about a month. Men lose more weight and at a faster rate (as they always do, ugh.) but women have FANTASTIC results as well.
3.) Is it true that people lose more weight when using HCG injections than when they use the HCG drops? We, the owners of DIY HCG, have been working with the HCG Diet since 2007. At the beginning, we supported the HCG injections and had customers who experienced great results of 20-30 lbs lost in about a month. In 2008, we heard about homeopathic HCG (commonly mistaken as HGC). We hesitantly tried it out on ourselves, then some family members, and finally some customer volunteers. And lo and behold, everyone reported the same weight loss results, and many participants reported feeling less hungry and having more energy. We kept working with both types (prescription HCG injections and homeopathic HCG drops) for a while, but then completely switched over to the HCG Diet drops when we were confident the results were great AND we saw significantly less reports of hair loss.
Bottom line: NO, we have not found it to be true (based on feedback from our customers) that those on HCG injections lose more weight than those using the HCG Diet drops. It just so happens that the HCG drops are much cheaper. Go figure.
4.) What is a summary of a typical round of the HCG Diet?
HCG Day 1 & 2: Take the HCG Diet Drops and gorge (eat as much fatty food as you can get down)
HCG Day 3 - Day 23 or up to Day 40: Take the HCG Diet Drops and follow the 500 calorie diet as outlined in Dr. Simeons’ manuscript.
HCG Exit Days (3 Days): After the last day of taking the HCG Diet Drops, you must keep following the 500 calorie diet for three days after stopping the HCG drops. Otherwise, YOU MAY GAIN.
HCG Maintenance 1st 3 weeks off HCG Diet drops: No Sugars and No starches. Control weight with morning weighing and 'steak days' (if needed)
HCG Maintenance 2nd 3 weeks off HCG Diet drops: Slowly add in sugars and starches. Control weight with morning weighing and HCG 'steak days' (if needed)
Life: Control weight with morning weighing and 'steak days' (if needed)
Because it is so important, we have Dr. Simeons’ manuscript available as a free download from DIY HCG. There is a free download of the manuscript on homepage of diyhcg.com. Even if you don’t read the whole manuscript, PLEASE do yourself a favor and read these few sections, “The Diet” (p. 25 of the PDF), “Cosmetics” (p. 30 of the PDF), and “Concluding a Course” (p. 36 of the PDF).
5.) Won’t I still lose the same amount of weight just eating a very low calorie diet without spending the money on the HCG Drops? Most people will lose weight by simply decreasing their caloric intake and increasing their amount of activity. However, that simply does not work for some people. AND, for the people for which it does work, the weight lost is not usually the fat that they really want gone: belly, upper arms, butt, neck fat, etc. If you try to just eat the 500 calories, good luck. Let me know in about…um…a day or two how you are doing on the diet. Actually, just tell me how many hours you were on it before you gave up due to extreme fatigue, hunger, and general “horrible” feeling. If you are a trooper and do stay on it for about a week, you will most probably lose weight. The weight will be in your face, your chest (ladies), the cute part of your butt (ladies), and in muscle (guys and ladies). You will also be exhausted and weak and FEEL like you are on a 500 calorie diet. Then, after you have lost a few pounds, your body will most likely go into ‘starvation mode’ and start holding on to everything that you put into your mouth until you give up. But watch out because you will start to gain weight quickly while your body ‘recovers’ what it lost plus a little more for safekeeping. Sound familiar? So, that is a not-so-fun weight loss technique. But hey, if you want to save the $80 measly dollars (about $2 per day), then have at it! On the other hand, with the HCG in your system, you will have the HCG pumping through you and releasing fat, calories, protein from your usually inaccessible fat reserves making you feel full already + you are eating your 500 calories allowed per day. You will find that you are feeling great, having energy, losing from where you want to lose, and totally reshaping your body. Then, when you come off the HCG and 500 calorie diet, do the HCG Diet maintenance phase for 6 weeks. And, guess what! Most people have a much better chance of maintaining their weight loss. It’s amazing. We know.
6.) What items do I need for the HCG Diet? There are many items that you can get for the HCG Diet to make your dieting experience easier. Here is a Shopping Checklist.
Required for the HCG Diet:
- DIY HCG Drops
- Kitchen scale that measures to the tenths spot (.1 or .2 lb) - See the brand we recommend here.
- Bathroom scale that measures to the tenth spot (.1 or .2 lb)
Highly Suggested items for HCG Diet:
- Non-stick grill (George Foreman or similar)
- Ziptop bags: For easy meal prep, you can weigh, cut, and cook your meat, and bag up for lunches.
- Powdered Stevia Packets: See the brand we recommend here.
- Liquid Flavored Stevia Drops: Used to spruce up tea, coffee, and water, see the brand we recommend here.
- Measuring tape
- HCG Diet Safe Lotion: Mineral oil or Tiffalina's Body Lotion
- HCG Diet Safe Lip Moisturizer: Mineral oil or baby oil
- HCG Diet Safe Oil-free Shampoo & Conditioner: Herbal Essence Drama Clean or Tiffalina's Hair Care Kit
- Ivory or Dial bar soap
- HCG Diet Approved Spices: See the brand we recommend here.
- HCG Diet Approved Salad Dressings: Simple Girl Sweet Vinaigrette, Simple Girl Citrus Ginger, Simple Girl Sweet Mustard, Simple Girl Balsamic Vinaigrette - See them all here.
- HCG Diet Approved Sauces: Simple Girl Carolina Kick BBQ Sauce, Simple Girl Southern Blend BBQ Sauce, Simple Girl Hot Sauce, See them all here.
- HCG Diet Books: HCG Weight Loss Cure Guide, 101 Worry-Free HCG Diet Recipes cookbook, My HCG Tracker, Pocket Guide to the HCG Protocol (especially when you enter Phase 3), 201 Worry-Free HCG Maintenance Recipes cookbook, see all of the books here.
Optional for the HCG Diet:
- HCG Diet Safe Oil-Free Deodorant: The Crystal Stick or Roll-on, Secret Flawless Clear Crystal Deodorant (Clear Gel)
- HCG Diet Safe Oil-free Shaving Cream
- HCG Diet Safe Oil-free Hand soap: Softsoap Hand Wash Aquarium
- Onion Cooker: This awesome tool helps you quickly and easily prepare an onion with just a microwave, get it here.
- Latex gloves: To use if you are going to be baking, dealing with fatty meats, or putting ointment or other oily/moisturizing substances on someone else (for example, a baby with a diaper rash).
- HCG Diet Safe Toothpaste: Ultrabright Toothpaste
Want more HCG Diet Information? Check out these great videos below!
The HCG Diet Protocol Introduction and History
The HCG Diet Protocol HCG Diet Summary
The HCG Diet Protocol
How HCG Works for Weight Loss
