How The HCG Diet Different From Other Diets

I’ve seen a lot of fad diets come and go over the years, but trust me when I say the HCG diet is different. How? HCG actually changes your metabolism – something other diets don’t address. HCG gives your metabolism a jumpstart, which allows your body to metabolize (burn) unhealthy fat. Your body gets extra calories from this process – up to 4,000 per day – which means you won’t feel hungry. On most low calorie diets, where you are consuming less calories than you burn, your body’s response is to slow your metabolism and hang on to stored fat. When that happens, you aren’t getting those extra calories from the stored fat, so you’re likely to become fatigued, irritable, and your weight loss will stall.

The HCG hormone in Simeons original plan, and my all natural drops, which work just as effectively, do the opposite. In this diet plan, the drops speed up your metabolism, which tells your body its time to burn fat. The HCG diet is estimated to speed your metabolism by up to 30%.

The effects of the drops are seen almost immediately. Body shape begins to change, and inches drop off effortlessly. That’s because that metabolism boost burns unhealthy fat, and releases up to 4,000 additional calories per day. So you can comfortably be on a low calorie diet, and lose weight without fatigue, loss of muscle, or feeling hungry!

Remember I said Simeons talked about “abnormal” and “normal” fat? What did he mean by that? Let’s take a closer look at the types of body fat.

Your Body Has Three Different Types Of Fat

1. Structural Fat is a protective layer, filling in the space between various organs.
2. Reserve Fat is what helps your body through times of “famine,” when nutritional intake won’t meet your body’s demands. This fat is used as fuel, typically when you aren’t getting enough carbohydrates or you go into ketosis (when you have raised levels of ketone bodies in the body tissue)
3. Abnormal or “Yellow” Fat is the stuff you don’t want. This is the unhealthy fat just below your skin, also known as visceral fat. It’s stored in fat cells in your belly, hips and buttocks. This fat is linked to inflammation, and can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, and certain cancers.

What Simeons found is that most diets diminish the fats you want to hold on to – the reserve fat and structural fat. But my transformation diet melts away unhealthy visceral fat only!

The Hypothalamus And Weight Loss

The hypothalamus, located at the base of the brain near the pituitary gland, is a small but mighty gland. The hypothalamus is critical to many essential body functions, including:

• Hormone release
• regulating body temperature
• Appetite control
• sustaining daily physiological cycles

All of these roles, in one way or another, relates to controlled weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.

Both HCG and my drops have a positive impact on the hypothalamus gland. Dr. Simeon’s hypothesis was that this positive effect HCG had on the gland, along with the fact that the gland is partly responsible for the regulation of body fat – both normal and abnormal – was why he observed young boys slimming down in India after being treated with HCG.

Dr. Simeons spent a decade researching, and finally proved that when both the proper amount of HCG was given, and his low calorie food plan that eliminated oils was followed, people – male and female – were able to quickly lose an incredible amount of abnormal body fat.

Good news travels fast, and soon doctors from around the world came to Rome to learn more about Dr. Simeons’ work with HCG and weight loss. It was this overwhelming interest that inspired Dr. Simeons to publish Pounds and Inches, a New Approach to Obesity in 1967, with the goal of helping people – both healthcare professionals and lay people – to better understand what he had discovered.

Since then, however, the popularity of the HCG diet declined for a number of reasons. After that initial interest, there were fewer and fewer practitioners who understood and agreed with Dr. Simeons’ conclusions. Research conducted on the HCG Diet was flawed, not following exact protocol, and the HCG Diet never received FDA approval as a better weight loss aid than typical dieting. I suspect the large pharmaceutical companies also played a role in this decline — they’ve never liked competition, and HCG was no exception.

After the HCG diet waned, the race was on to find the best weight loss drug. So many have come and gone, including the Fen-phen phenomenon. This drug combined fenfluramine (which boosts serotonin) and phentermine (a stimulant). While neither prompted weight loss alone, together they were a combination that got results. But a crash was soon coming for this dynamic duo. Women who had been treated with Fen-phen or (dex)fenfluramine were reported to develop valvular heart disease and pulmonary hypotension, and the FDA asked that it be withdrawn from the market in September of 1997.

Interest in Dr. Simeons’ work was revived when Kevin Trudeau released a book called “The Weight Loss Cure, What THEY Don’t Want You To Know”, in 2007. Trudeau’s book included quite a bit of information about the HCG diet and soon a few forward-thinking clinics in the US began to offer HCG for weight loss.

The popularity of HCG has continue to rise in the past couple of decades as health care professionals – and their patients – see the extraordinary difference it can make.

The Difference Between Prescription HCG Drops vs. My All-Natural Homeopathic Nutritional Formulations

If a natural alternative to man-made chemicals is available, I believe it should be used.  For more than 150 years, homeopathic treatments have been available, with a focus on using natural substances to allow your body to heal itself.

Homeopathic HCG products emerged as a practical alternative to prescription HCG, which can be prohibitively expensive.  Thousands of people took advantage of this over the counter solution, with great results. Unfortunately, a few bad seeds can ruin the garden, and there are always companies that will take advantage of people desperate to change their lives.  Some shady companies sold poor quality products that just didn’t work. These weren’t dangerous, but the FDA still chose to ban all over the counter homeopathic HCG products. Although you may find a few suppliers on the internet, they’re walking a fine line.

But here’s the big difference with my program: the drops you’ll take on the Transformation Diet DO NOT CONTAIN ANY HCG. My formula is a blend of unique homeopathic ingredients, amino acids, herbals, and nutritionals which mimics the human hormone HCG. And you get the same results when using my ALL NATURAL, non HCG products and following my diet plan as you do with HCG.  That means quick, substantial weight loss — naturally!

My metabolism boosting drops are safe for anyone, and can be taken with prescription medications.*

Difference In Diet Plans

The original HCG was rigid and inflexible.  It required strict adherence to around 500-calories per day menu. But I know that every person is different, so a specific amount of calories might not work for everyone. You have to take into account your own metabolism, activity level and other factors. That’s why I designed a more flexible option. Let’s take a look at how the original eating plan compares to mine.

Original Foods On The HCG Diet

As I said, Dr. Simeons’ menu suggested approximately 500 calories a day. Here’s a sample of what that might have looked like:

• Breakfast: Patients were actually encouraged to skip breakfast, and have only coffee or tea without sugar (stevia could be used to sweeten it).  On the plan, only one tablespoon of nonfat milk was allowed in a 24 hour time period.
• Lunch: 100 grams of fresh white fish or other proteins (weighed raw) with all visible fat removed before cooking. The fish or protein could only be boiled or grilled without any fats added.  One vegetable – usually a dark, leafy green vegetable – could accompany the meat. One bread stick, and either an apple, orange or handful of strawberries rounded out this meal.
• Dinner: Dinner was very similar to lunch, except the protein might be 100 grams of chicken breast, grilled without the skin or the addition of any fat.  The same guidelines for sides applied as with lunch.

This original 500-calorie HCG diet is quite restrictive, and has been criticized as being a “starvation diet.” And I will admit – that’s what I thought too!  When I first heard about the HCG diet I thought there was no way my patients wouldn’t be hungry with such rigid guidelines. But then I saw and heard the results.  My patients were losing the weight they’d struggled with for so long, and they told me they simply weren’t hungry.  I even tried it myself, and had the same amazing results!

We have a lot more information now than we used to about calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and metabolism.  The “calories in, calories out” model just isn’t a reliable way to lose weight and keep it off, though there are some who still believe that all calories are created equal.  But there’s so much evidence now that people lose more weight – and keep it off – when they limit carbohydrates and boost protein intake, such as with the Paleo, Atkins and Ketogenic diets.

My Transformation Diet Features A More Flexible Eating Plan

I know how hard it can be to change habits, and I thought the HCG diet was a little too rigid.  When already making a drastic change, people like to have choices. My new plan allows you more calories – up to 800 per day depending on your unique needs, and a lot more whole, unprocessed food choices.

My patients who take the drops as directed and follow my more flexible diet plan have had just as much success as those on the more restrictive HCG Diet. Typical results are a half a pound per day to a pound a day for females and up to a pound a day for males.  Of course, your individual metabolism, activity level, and diet compliance will make a big difference, and results will vary.

My Transformation Diet Allows Up to 800 Calories A Day

A typical American diet of 2,000 calories usually includes 200-300 grams of carbohydrates per day.  Less than 120 grams of carbs per day is considered a “low carb” diet. The popular Atkins and Keto diets are based on very low carbs – 20-25 grams a day.  Simeons’ original diet protocol allowed between 30-40 grams of carbs per day.

My Transformation Diet, with its more flexible eating plan, allows for 40-50 grams of carbohydrates a day.

Phase 1: “Fat Loading Days”

It’s not often you’ll hear me encouraging gluttony, but in this case, it’s an important part of the plan. This is called the “fat-loading phase” and it’s necessary to help nudge your metabolism into action. In the first two days of taking the drops, over-eat high fat foods. That means cheese, butter, ice cream, avocados – whatever you can find that provides good, healthy fats. Enjoy yourself! You might feel bloated or gain a few pounds, but you’ll quickly shed them and be feeling great.

How to Take My All-Natural, Anti-Inflammatory Weight Loss Drops:

Place .5ml (about quarter of a dropperful) under your tongue three times daily. Hold for at least one minute, then swallow. You shouldn’t have any food or drink 15 minutes before or after taking the drops. These drops help you burn 1,500-4,000 calories a day of unhealthy visceral fat, especially in your belly, hips and thighs!

Phase 2: “Low Calorie Diet Protocol”

This is the weight loss phase! You should continue to take the drops as instructed, three times per day under your tongue. This is also when you begin the specific dietary plan I will lay out for you.

This phase is the longest. You’ll remain in phase 2 until your weight loss goal has been met, or you reach your natural best weight. I can tell you that this phase needs to be a minimum of 23 days, but I can’t tell you a maximum — you’ll want to keep doing it as long as it’s working for you. If you feel good and you’re losing weight, why would you stop? In Simeons’ original diet, you had to cycle through, taking a break from the drops every 40 days. With mine, that’s not necessary — that’s one advantage of using my all-natural alternative fat burning drops.

Phase 3: “Reset Your Metabolism”

In phase three, everything levels out. You’ll enter this phase when you have either met your weight loss goals or plateaued at the same weight for several days. It’s important to recognize that sometimes, your body knows what an ideal weight for you is! In this stabilization period, you’ll discontinue the fat burning drops, but continue following your low calorie diet protocol for three additional days. On the fourth day you’ll start to slowly, mindfully add restricted foods back into your diet and increasing your daily calorie intake.

Phase 4: “Long Term Maintenance & Lifestyle”

There’s one final phase to discuss still, and it’s probably the most important for long term success. Maintenance is the key to keeping your weight off. If you return to all the same unhealthy habits, your metabolism is likely to slow again — but there are some easy ways to avoid this happening!

Okay, so I can tell you to stick to between 500 and 800 calories per day, but what does that really mean? Here’s a quick reference guide to get you started.

Egg, boiled- 78 calories

Egg scrambled (using non stick olive oil spray) 91 calories

Fish (avg 98 calories)

• Cod (3.5 oz) – 83 calories
• Crab Meat (3.5 oz) – 100 calories
• Flounder (3.5 oz) – 90 calories
• Haddock (3.5 oz) – 88 calories
• Halibut (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
• Lobster (3.5 oz) – 98 calories
• Red Snapper (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
• Shrimp (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
• Tilapia (3.5 oz) – 94 calories

Very Lean Beef (avg 152 calories)

• 93/7 Lean Ground Beef (3.5 oz) – 150 calories
• Cube Steak (3.5 oz) – 160 calories
• Sirloin Tip Side Steaks (3.5 oz) – 130 calories
• Top Round Steak (3.5 oz) – 166 calories
• Tri-Tip Steak (3.5 oz) – 154 calories

Chicken

• Chicken Breast (3.5 oz) – 87 calories

Veal (avg 114 calories)

• Veal, sirloin (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
• Veal, loin chop (3.5 oz) – 117 calories

Vegetables (avg serving, 18.8 cal)

• Asparagus (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
• Asparagus (2″ tip) – 1 calories
• Asparagus (small spear) – 2 calories
• Asparagus (medium spear) – 3 calories
• Asparagus (large spear) – 4 calories
• Broccoli (3.5 oz) – 34 calories
• Broccoli (1 cup – 88g) – 30 calories
• Broccoli (5″ spear – 31 g) – 11 calories
• Celery (3.5 oz) – 15 cal
• Celery (medium stalk) – 6 calories
• Cabbage (3.5 oz) – 24 calories
• Cabbage (1 cup shredded) – 17 calories
• Cauliflower (3.5 oz) – 22 calories
• Cauliflower (1 cup) – 28 calories
• Cauliflower (3 flowerets) – 12 calories
• Cucumber (3.5 oz) – 12 calories
• Cucumber (small) – 19 calories
• Cucumber (medium) – 24 calories
• Cucumber (large) – 34 calories
• Cucumber (English long) – 60 calories
• Lettuce, all varieties (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
• Lettuce, all varieties (1 cup) – 8 calories
• Lettuce, all varieties (small head) – 32 calories
• Red Radishes (3.5 oz) – 12 calories
• Red Radishes (one medium) – 1 calories
• Spinach, raw (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
• Spinach, raw (1 cup) – 7 calories
• Spinach, frozen (3.5 oz) – 23 calories
• Spinach, frozen (1 cup) – 41 calories
• Spinach, cooked (3.5 oz) – 31 calories
• Spinach, cooked (1 cup) – 48 calories
• Tomato (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
• Tomato (cherry) – 3 calories
• Tomato (plumb) – 11 calories
• Tomato (small) – 16 calories
• Tomato (medium) – 22 calories
• Tomato (large) – 33 calories

Fruit

• Apple (small) – 55 calories
• Apple (medium) – 72 calories
• Apple (large) – 110 calories
• Orange (navel) – 69 calories
• Orange (Florida) – 65 calories
• Orange (California) – 59 calories
• Strawberries, 12 large – 72 calories
• Strawberries, 20 medium – 80 calories
• Pink Grapefruit (California) – 92 calories
• Pink Grapefruit (Florida) – 74 calories

Bread

• Grissini Breadstick (3 g) – 12 calories
• Melba Toast (3 gram) – 12 calories
• Melba Toast (5 gram) – 20 calories

Be prepared! Nothing thwarts weight loss efforts more than lack of preparation. Before starting this program, remove non-approved foods from your kitchen, or at the very least store them in a separate cabinet or on a different shelf in the fridge so you won’t be tempted.

If feeling hungry, you can try an occasional extra dose of drops, drink a large glass of water, or eat a little more protein.

WATER is essential! You MUST make it a priority to drink plenty of water. Water flushes your body of toxins, and helps you maintain progress — and you need to drink approximately your own body weight in water each day. To make water more palatable, you can add flavored stevia drops, or fresh lemon or lime juice.

If your weight loss stalls for 2 days, try eating all protein for a day. I like to grill a steak the night before, and then nibble on it throughout the day — that way, it feels like a real treat!

Make time for prep work! If you do your weekly preparation in one large session, you won’t have to worry about it during the week when you are more likely to be hurried. Cook meat in bulk, separate it into small pyrex containers in appropriate portions, and freeze. Defrost and add fresh vegetables for a quick and easy dinner during the week.

If you can’t avoid eating out due to work or an important social function, plan ahead. Look up the menu and choose what you’ll order before you ever get there. If there isn’t anything on the menu that meets program guidelines, you can always bring your own!

We all have occasional cravings, especially for sweets. If this happens, take a look at the approved “extras.” I also have some recipes for safe “cheats” – treats that seem too good to be allowed, but won’t stall your progress, like sugar free jello and stevia sweetened “cookies.” Another great trick is frozen strawberries with just a drizzle of Stevia. You can also purchase Ice Chips which are sweetened with Zylotol.

Truvia is not pure Stevia. Using it will stall your progress.

If you are having difficulty eating enough vegetables, whip up a “green” morning smoothie. See my recipes for some great options!

Be ready with no-cook protein options. Keeping a precooked rotisserie chicken without any skin, or nitrate free approved sandwich meats on hand is a great idea for those moments when you need to grab some protein quickly.

Keep references handy. You’ll want to know which foods are approved, and which are not allowed, when you’re out and about or at the grocery store. I suggest taking a photo of the list on your phone, or printing out a copy to keep in your wallet.

Know how to quickly access resources. If you carry your phone regularly, save my website and Facebook group in your memos or on the home screen for an instant resource.

Stock up on organic fruits and vegetables that you love. These make great snacks, and if you have several options on hand, it will be much easier to stay on track. Organic can be expensive, but many grocery stores sell large bags of organic apples, which can be more cost effective.

Everybody is unique, and everyone will react differently to beginning a new diet plan. There’s a slight possibility that you could experience stomach discomfort or headaches in your first few days. Your body is detoxifying, and these symptoms will go away in 2 to 3 days. To find relief from headaches, try drinking bone broth, take an extra magnesium or potassium supplement, or take ibuprofen or other over the counter headache remedies.

You want to keep your momentum going, so any time you have gone two days without losing at least half a pound, boost your metabolism with an ALL PROTEIN DAY.

It’s normal not to lose weight every single day. So if you step on the scale one morning and the number hasn’t budged, don’t panic. But if you weigh again the next morning and you still haven’t lost at least half a pound, you should try an ALL PROTEIN DAY. I’ll describe what that should look like below.

What An All Protein Day Should Look Like

On an all protein day, you’ll eat more calories — 800-1,000 calories — of only protein. Any of the approved protein choices are fine, but leave out the fruits, vegetables, and snacks.

The day following an all protein day, when you weigh, you should show a loss of half a pound or more. Return to the regular low calorie diet protocol.

During the first few days of phase 2, you’re weight loss phase, you may feel hungry as you adjust to the low calorie diet protocol. If this happens, eat more of the allowed foods. Protein is often the most satisfying choice. When your body has adjusted to the diet, you won’t be hungry!

The success of this program relies on sticking to the list of approved foods. Any variance may limit your weight loss.

Proteins: 100-150 grams per day (or 400-600 calories a day)

Research is showing that the Atkins diet and other high protein diets are right: the higher your protein intake, the less hungry you will feel, and the faster you will lose weight. And despite what you may have heard, high protein doesn’t damage kidney or liver cells in a normal body. This is only an issue in people with kidney or liver failure!

• Eggs & Egg Beaters
• beef (lean, grass fed is the best option) -choose from steak, hamburger patties, fillet, beef tips, flat iron, or flank
• chicken breast (skinless)
• Turkey – white meat only
• turkey burgers (pay attention to additives if you are purchasing premade)
• Greek yogurt (MUST be no sugar added!)
• cottage cheese
• Seafood: sea bass, sole, flounder, halibut, grouper, snapper, tilapia, perch, oysters, lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, and clams.

Other Protein Options: Bone Broth Vanilla or Chocolate can be used as a snack for some people when directed.

Bars: Extend, Atkins, Quest, and Detour brands of high protein low sugar bars.

Shakes: Extend, Pure Protein, EAS Light, Muscle Milk Light, Premier Protein brands of high protein, low sugar shakes (calories 160 or less, 2-3 sugars or less 10 protein or more) are all approved.

Luncheon meats, preferably hormone, additive and nitrate free: turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef. Hormel sliced lunch-meat (available at Wal Mart and other select stores) and Applegate sliced lunch meat (available at Whole Foods and other select stores) are two good choices.

You can have as much chicken, beef and vegetable stock as you’d like. But be sure to read the label and choose a brand with no added sugar, no fat and preferably gluten free.

List Of Fruits Allowed On The Transformation Diet:

You may have up to 3 servings of fruit per day

• Apples
• Peaches
• Berries, any variety (1/2 a cup is one serving)
• Pears
• Oranges
• Grapefruit (1/2 is one serving)
• Watermelon (2 cups is one serving)
• Tangerines
• Cantaloupe (one cup is one serving)
• Pineapple (2 slices is one serving)
• Nectarines
• Unlimited Limes and Lemons are allowed – making these a great water garnish!

Seasonings: unlimited – lemon, garlic, thyme, parsley, plum vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, basil, pepper, balsamic vinegar, garlic salt, Salad Supreme, Dash Seasoning, pepper, oregano, rosemary, the list goes on and on. Any herbs and spices are fine, including blends, as long as they don’t contain added sugar. Read labels!

List Of Vegetables Allowed on The Transformation Diet:

Vegetables are allowed in unlimited quantities. You can eat as much as you want, so if you feel hungry, sit down with a salad or some steamed veggies and enjoy!

• Spinach
• Lettuce – all varieties
• Cucumbers
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Onions
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Radishes
• Kale
• Brussels Sprouts
• Green Beans
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Zucchini
• Cauliflower
• Dill Pickles (without added sugar)
• Bean Sprouts
• Squash
• Eggplant
• Bok Choy
• Pumpkin

Allowable Beverages

There are many great beverages you can enjoy, including green tea, black tea, coffee, Crystal Light, Diet V-8 Splash, carbonated water drinks including Zevia, La Croix, Clear, etc. (as long as they don’t contain added sugar).

Only one tablespoon of Lactose free soy milk, whole milk, cream or almond milk is allowed per day so you’ll need to adjust your coffee if you’re used to a lot of cream. Diet sodas are not allowed — they are not a healthy option!

Salad dressings: Wishbone or Ken’s spray dressing, Walden Farms No Calorie-No Fat-No sugar dressing are okay options – but only in very small quantities.

Condiments and Additives: You can use Sweet n Low or Splenda if that’s a deal breaker for you, but I prefer all natural xylitol or Stevia.

I don’t recommend NutraSweet because it’s associated with numerous potential health problems – look it up online and read for yourself!

Heinz reduced sugar Ketchup, soy sauce, tabasco, picante, horseradish, and all the sugar free salsa you want are okay. You can also see my recipe section for approved homemade mayo and ketchup recipes.

You may use PAM and other no calorie olive oil aerosol based cooking sprays when cooking.

Noodles: see my recipe section for some great “noodle” recipes.

Miracle zucchini noodles and Shirataki noodles (usually found in produce section of supermarket) are okay. Or, get a spiralizer and make your own!

Crackers: It’s best to avoid crackers, bread sticks and melba toasts altogether – I know how easy it is for 3 to become 10 before you even realize it! So even though they are allowed, use caution and stick to the allowed amounts.

Melba toasts – 3 per day; Grissini breadsticks – 6 per day; Wasa – 2 per day; Blue Diamond Nut Thins – 12 per day

One Flatout Light wrap (a no sugar, no fat, high protein wrap) is okay per day, or one La Tortilla Factory or Low Carb Tortilla.

Snacks: These snacks have zero or very close to zero sugar, and are low fat. You can have them sparingly, just be sure to follow the daily limits.

Zero sugar Jell-O (half a cup a day) & Jell-O chocolate pudding (one serving a day); Murray sugar free cookies (2 a day); Sugar free popsicles (one a day). Remember these are artificially sweetened and for some will prevent weight loss.

These foods are NOT allowed on the Transformation Diet. STARCHES ARE NOT ALLOWED!

All starches and grains are not allowed. This includes:

• Corn
• Carrots
• Oats
• Millet
• Spelt
• Whole grain bread
• Chips
• Bagels
• Potatoes
• Wheat
• Pasta
• Pizza
• Sweets
• Bread
• Rice
• Black beans
• Navy beans
• Kidney beans
• pinto beans
• Legumes
• Lentils
• Peas
• Green beans are the only beans allowed

Other foods that are not allowed:

• Nuts
• Candy
• Chocolate
• Avocados (consult your practitioner)
• Honey, molasses, corn, or table sugar
• Sugar sodas, fruit juices, or alcohol (consult your practitioner)

OLIVE OIL, BUTTER and ALL other oils are NOT permitted. NO OILS are allowed!

(For cooking, use PAM and other no calorie olive oil aerosol based cooking sprays; these ARE ALLOWED)!