I have been hearing a lot about the HCG Diet. The entire weight loss plan is a blend of both intake of a natural hormone (HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, available in drops or injectables) and a diet plan. The regimen (that is supposed to make clients lose up to about 30 pounds in a month) follows four phases: The Loading (or “Binge”) Phase is the stage where the client is allowed to eat as much fat as he or she possibly can in two days; the Core Phase (lasting between 13 and 43 days) is the point where the client is restricted to a 500-calorie diet; the Transition Phase (three days) sees the client maintains the 500-calorie-a-day diet but stops taking the HCG drops; and the Maintenance Phase (21 days) is the time the client slowly starts to add on more calories to his or her diet (except for sugars, starches and artificial sweeteners). IMPORTANT NOTE: I strongly urge readers to consult their doctors before embarking on any diet or exercise plan.
Cognizant that HCG drops and injectables should only be bought from reliable dealers, I asked my good friend Kat Holigores (who had previously lost 10 pounds in the HCG diet) for her HCG source who immediately sent me the HCG in a bottle (I opted for the drops). I chose friend Mar to try the diet as she felt she had to lose about 10 lbs. After being fully informed of the protocol and nature of the diet, Mar started her journey and listed her progress in a diary.
Mar’s diary reads:
Loading Phase (Binge Eating Phase)
This is the easiest phase of the diet because you don’t have to be that strict in following a diet. You can basically eat everything you want to eat. All you have to bear in mind is that you need to eat as much fatty food as you can during this phase. Fine with me! Choosing what food to eat during this phase was easy. I opted for fast-food meals especially the deep-fried ones.
Core Phase
This is the phase were you need to follow the 500-calorie diet. I must say this was initially a challenging phase for me not in terms of the calorie count but because, in order to make sure I followed the protocol correctly, I insisted on preparing my meals by myself. There is a list of food that you can eat. But because of my tight schedule at work, I was only able to find the most common food from the list. People who have househelp and more time on their hands will not have the same difficulty. I was also very exact about measuring the food portions. As I am a busy girl with a full-time job, I always opted for broiled breast fillet or white fish, sliced apples, green salad of iceberg lettuce and melba toast as a meal. Buying melba toast or grissini was initially a problem until I discovered that they are readily available in Santi’s, Terry’s and most upscale bakeries. Stevia and saccharine are the only two sweeteners that are allowed in the diet. The saccharine brand “Sweet and Low” is easily available in most grocery stores. I am a coffee aficionado but during this phase I have to give this up.
With regards to feeling hungry during this phase, I didn’t feel that mostly because like what I’ve mentioned earlier, before I started the HCG program, I was already regulating my food intake so my body is already used to a low-calorie diet. It’s more of the empty feeling that you would experience. As I was keeping my carbohydrate intake low, I was afraid of experiencing bad breath. But this never happened. I did feel thirsty most of the time, which is a good thing because that encouraged me to drink more water (and go to the bathroom!). I could imagine that this would result in much needed water loss.
Transition Phase
I have stopped taking the HCG drops but am still on a 500-calorie diet. I understand that I am supposed to continue doing this for three days. It is during this time that the body is ridding itself of the high levels of HCG in my body. Interestingly enough, I am not feeling particularly hungry. I’m particularly proud of myself!
Overall, I lost 4.5 kgs or 9.9 lbs in just around two and a half weeks. I can say I am happy with the results and I look forward to proceeding to the Maintenance Phase.
Maintenance Phase
After going through the transition phase, I am now incorporating more food in my diet. I am not rushing to gorge myself. I see the improvement in my figure and this inspires me to want to keep it for as long as I can!
(Note: If you choose to follow the HCG Diet, please make sure that you go to a reputable supplier. Uptown/Downtown recommends HCG Ultraslim- email: hcg.ultraslim@gmail.com or text 0916-326-7667.)