Homeopathic HCG Diet Protocol
This protocol is based on the diet developed in the 1950’s by Dr. A.T.W Simeons. The theory behind the protocol is that the HCG mobilizes abnormal fat (not structural or stored fat) which is then released into the bloodstream and burned for fuel during the 500 calorie phase of the diet. There are 4 phases to the Homeopathic HCG diet protocol. Phase one can be repeated approximately every 6 months, while the other phases are repeated as soon as you have completed the fourth phase. Phases 2-4 may be repeated as many times as necessary to attain your goal. Below I have described what each phase consists of and how it is done. I have designed and tested the program with many patients and find it to be highly effective if followed to the T.
We always have clients complete our Intake Form online before they make an appointment. Once the paperwork is done we see them in our office for a consultation to find out what their goals are in using our program and to help them understand what is involved in the protocol. We do phone consultations with people that live too far to travel to our office. I always send them away from their visit with a total body detox and, if indicated, a yeast cleanse. Every client also gets a copy of Dr. A.T.W Simeons’ manuscript, “Pounds and Inches”, as well as a copy of our protocol which is based on Dr. Simeons’ manuscript.
Phase One
This phase is for cleansing and detoxing the body. We feel like the diet phase of the program is much more effective if the body is as free of toxins as possible. At least 2 liters of water a day should be consumed during this phase. We use a product called Cleanse Max from Advanced Naturals. It’s a 30 day total body detox, cleansing the liver, kidneys, lymph, skin, blood, lungs and colon. I’ve been using this cleanse for many months and am extremely pleased with its results. It’s important to drink plenty of water during the cleanse. Two liters a day are recommended. I also want to make sure, if they have too much Candida overgrowth based on the score from the Candida questionnaire that they have an effective yeast cleanse. We use Zymex from Standard Process. If the scores are not extremely high, one box is usually enough for our purpose. However, if they have scores in the two and three hundreds, I have them double the dosages, using 2 boxes of Zymex and I also recommend a bottle of Allicidin from Premier Research Labs. We find the people with high yeast levels tend to have horrible cravings and are much hungrier than they need to be. This protocol is very effective at reducing yeast overgrowth. Once they have completed the 30 day detox, they move on to phase 2, the actual diet phase.
Phase 2
THE DIET
In this phase, the client will begin taking 2 doses of Homeopathic HCG each day along with the diet, which is outlined below. It’s very important that 2 liters of water be consumed each day. This should continue even in the maintenance phase for good health. The client may also add tea and/or coffee, but may not substitute these for the water requirement. Herbal teas are preferable, but not required.
Days 1 and 2
The first 2 days of the diet are called loading days. The client is required, during these days, to consume as many high fat foods as they can each day in addition to taking their morning and evening dose of Homeopathic HCG. It’s not required for the foods to be “healthy foods” for the diet to be effective, but most people find that, if they consume only “junk” foods, they feel pretty sick by the end of the day. It helps to use at least some real foods, such as avocados, eggs, bacon, nuts, cheese, high fat steaks, etc. It also helps if the foods are spread out throughout the day and not eaten in three huge meals. The purpose of this unusual requirement is two-fold. First, because most people have done years of yo-yo dieting, they tend to lose much structural fat, which is essential in maintaining a healthy appearance during a very strict diet. This loading phase re-establishes this structural fat so the client doesn’t look drawn or gaunt after many days of dieting. The second reason is to help reduce some of the hunger they will feel during the first few days of the diet.
Days 3 through 25-45
The client should weigh, first thing, the morning of the 3rd day and every morning thereafter. It’s important that the bathroom scale be very consistent and weighs in increments of .2 lbs or less. Spring scales are not recommended. Check the scale for consistency before purchasing. Measurements should be taken the morning of the third day and once a week thereafter. Weight should be taken and recorded every day in phases 2-4. Careful records should be kept of weights and measures. It’s a great idea to calculate your total weight and and measurement loss once each week. A small spiral notebook is ideal for this purpose. There is a chart of calories/ounce of the foods allowed on the diet in the back of your book. Make copies of it and keep them in a binder so you have permanent records. It’s very important to stay within the 500 calorie limit in this phase.
It’s critical to be aware that on this type of program your body will shed lots of water that may be trapped in your tissues. When this happens, your potassium levels can drop too low, causing lightheadedness/ dizziness. It is advisable to take 1 or 2-99mg tablets of potassium each day during this phase. It’s also very common for people to be constipated due to the very low fiber content of the diet. I always recommend Natural Calm for this problem. It’s a powdered magnesium supplement that’s mixed with boiling water. It’s best to get the flavored ones which are quite pleasant. Magnesium helps to draw water into the colon to ease the transition of the food through the digestive tract.
It’s also highly recommended to take a good quality vitamin/mineral supplement during all phases of the diet. You may purchase one from our office or from a good health food store. Walmart and grocery store brands are not the best.
We are recommending a product called Amino Blend from Progressive Labs for our clients on Phase 2 just to be sure they have plenty of amino acids which are necessary to allow the homeopathic hcg to work its magic.
If you are a man on this program, you will need to supplement your diet during Phase 2 with a product called Palmettoplex from Standard Process. This is a saw palmetto product that helps support the male hormones during this phase.
Following are the foods that are allowed during Phase 2 of the program. It is always best to make up your menu for the day before you start eating. It’s also advisable to figure out the calories from the meat, fruit and melba toast first, then figure out what 2 vegetables you want to add to the menu based on the number of calories you have left of your 500 calorie limit. Be aware that some supplements have calories and these have to be factored in as well.
Breakfast: Tea or coffee in any quantity without sugar.
Only 1 tablespoon of milk is allowed in 24 hours.
Stevia may be used for sweetening.
Lunch: 1. 3.5 ounces of veal, very lean beef, boneless, skinless chicken breast, white fish, lobster, shrimp and crab. Lean bison may be used instead of beef. All visible fat must be carefully removed. The meat must be weighed raw. It must be broiled, grilled, baked, steamed etc, without additional fat. Salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried or pickled fish are not allowed. You may not substitute any other poultry for chicken. * **
*Note – Spring scales are not accurate enough. A postage scale or at least a high quality digital food scale is necessary.
** Note – I allow my clients to buy cooked shrimp, as you can get it peeled, de-veined and tails off. I just have them measure a rounded cup of the frozen shrimp and count however many calories the package lists per cup.
2. One type of vegetable only, to be chosen from the following:
spinach, chard, chicory, beet-greens, green salad (lettuce), tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, and cabbage. Again, the vegetables can not be mixed as in a salad.
3. One breadstick (Italian Grissini only) or one Melba toast.
4. An apple, 5.5 ounces of strawberries, or one-half grapefruit. The grapefruit can be peeled, torn in half and weighed.
Dinner: The same four choices as lunch.
There are no substitutions for the foods listed above. If it’s not on the list, you may not have it. The only exception is for vegetarians who may substitute 500cc of skim milk for the meat, part of which can be taken as fat free cottage cheese. There are no other substitutions for the protein.
The client is allowed to use any seasoning including, but not limited to salt and pepper. Watch combinations of spices as they may contain sugar and/or modified food starch. The fruit or Melba toast may be eaten between meals or at breakfast. There can be no fats or oils in the diet and the client must be very careful not to use anything on their skin with oil in it. Oil free lotions can be used if the skin is very dry. Corn Huskers is oil free and Neutrogena has a nice one called Oil Free Fresh Moisture. This is intended for your face but works nicely on the hands and legs, too.
If you plateau for at least 4 days in a row during phase 2, you may follow the apple day protocol. It does not qualify as a plateau unless you have weighed the same weight or gained for 4 days in a row. If you drop even .2lbs during that time, you should just continue on with the normal program. If an apple day is required, you will eat 6 apples that day beginning at noon and finishing by bedtime. It’s ok to slice them and put stevia and cinnamon or other spice on them.
The last 4 days of this phase are critical to the success of the dieter. The weight should be recorded on the first of these 4 days and noted to be your ending weight for Phase 2. I always have my clients circle this weight in their notebook so there will be no question. This will be your maintenance weight during phase 3. The final dose of HCG will be taken that morning but the 500 calorie diet must be continued all four days. No HCG will be taken after that morning. The next morning, day 5, phase 3 begins.
Phase 3
This is considered a transition phase into maintenance. I believe it is the most critical phase if the client wants to reset the hypothalamus, allowing the weight-loss to be maintained. Beginning the fourth morning, the client should begin to add calories to the diet. They may add any food they like with the exception of any foods which contain starch or sugar in any form. We always include a list of starches and sugars to avoid during this Phase as many people are unclear as to what foods contain starch or sugar. The client is now free to add other meats, fats, dairy, other fruits and vegetables and they can now mix their vegetables.
It’s important to weigh every morning during this phase because the client must not allow themselves to gain more than 2 lbs above their maintenance weight, nor should they continue to lose more than 2 lbs. If they gain more than 2 lbs, even by a few ounces (.2 on the scale), they must follow the steak day protocol in the manuscript. On THIS day, the client doesn’t take any food until dinner, but should drink plenty of fluids such as water, tea or coffee. Then for dinner, they should eat a huge steak with either a raw tomato or an apple. They mustn’t wait for a day or two after the scale registers above 2 lbs. Control can be lost very quickly if this rule is not adhered to exactly as described. The next morning the weight should be back down within the appropriate range. Many people are skeptical that this could work, but amazingly, it does work consistently if you follow the protocol. If the client continues to lose weight, they must eat more to stabilize the weight within the 2 lb range. After three full weeks on phase 3, you can safely move into phase 4.
Phase 4
This is the phase that most diets would refer to as the maintenance phase. In this phase the client can very gradually introduce small amounts of starches and sugars into the diet. It is always best to use the most natural forms available, such as whole grains, dried beans, yams, white potatoes, honey, raw sugar, maple syrup, etc. I continue to use stevia for most of my sweetening purposes, using other forms of sweetener only occasionally. It may be to your advantage to avoid eating starchy carbs and fruits late in the day. Some people have found that they tend to gain weight if they eat them after 2:00 or 3:00 P.M., but seem to maintain their weight very easily if they avoid them during the later hours.
It’s very important to monitor your weight in this phase and to be aware of how different types of meals affect your weight. If you find you gain weight consistently when you eat, for instance, Italian food, you will probably want to limit how often and how much of it you eat. It’s ok to eat it, but you would have to eat more conscientiously the next day to get the gain back off.
If you have not reached you weight goal during the last diet phase you were on, you may begin Phase 2 again after a full 6 week break. You will begin just like you did the first time, by loading for 2 days then beginning the 500 calorie diet on the third day.
Conclusion
We are having great success with this protocol in our practice. We are not only having amazing weight loss success, but also many health benefits. Even though a person should not be on a very low calorie diet for extended periods, it has been quite safe and advantageous to the client to do it in these six week increments. Many people with blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol problems are finding that their levels become more normal during the course of the diet and tend to stay in a more normal range even during maintenance, many even being taken off of their medication by their doctors. Try it yourself. You won’t be disappointed. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call the practitioner who is advising you on the diet.
