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Phases of the HCG Diet Explained
By Pamela Bacher
Confusion abounds around the phases of the increasingly popular HCG diet. This is because the original diet, as enumerated by its creator Dr. ATW Simeons in the 1950s differs from Kevin Trudeau who popularized the diet with his " The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About" book and infomercial recently.
Phase 1 (the Trudeau addition) is essentially a cleansing phase, including colonics, is not necessary for the diet.
Phase 1 also refers to the first two days of the diet itself. These are "loading" days wherein one gorges on very high fat food. Avocados, cheeses, heavy cream sauces etc. Two reasons for this phase are noted: One is to alert the body that extra fat calories need burning, so start those engines. Another is that this relieves any hunger and other discomfort in the first week of the diet
Phase 2 starts the intake of the HCG (injections, sublingual or drops) and can run either 20 or 40 days, depending on the amount of weight loss desired. Phase 2 also involves the very low calorie diet, (VLCD) of 500 calories. The VLCD is specific in terms of how and what to eat and is described in Dr. Simeon's "Pounds and Inches" a short overview of the diet downloadable free all over the internet. This is a must read if you are considering the diet. There are also HCG recipes and HCG cookbooks available on the internet. Beware that they follow Dr. Simeons guidelines. On the 20 or 40ieth day the HCG stops, but the VLCD continues for another three days.
Phase 3 is also known as the maintenance phase which runs 3 weeks before doing another "round" going back to Phase 1 loading. Add one week to Phase 3 each time it is done. It is a continuation of Phase 2, except that the calorie restriction is significantly lifted as well as the food choices. One must still avoid all starch and sugar. However cheeses and nuts are welcome additions. This phase is important for recalibrating the body's weight set point. If one goes 2 pounds above the last Phase 2 weight one should do a "steak day" involving only one big meal in the evening of steak.
Phase 4 is the rest of your life. The vast majority of those who have completed the HCG diet do not regain the weight lost. This may be due to a combination of a reset metabolism and lifestyle changes adopted during the diet.
Heavy exercise is not recommended during the HCG diet.
Pamela Bacher and a dozen friends have lost between 25 and 80 pounds on the hcg diet and counting. They have been trading recipes and tips which can be found at http://www.myhcgrecipes.com
Pamela is compiling this information into a book HGG Tips, Tricks and Tasty Recipes.
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