Phases of the hCG Diet

The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) diet contains three separate phases. These phases differ only slightly depending on which of the two HCG weight loss programs you are following. These two programs are Dr. Simeons’ “Pounds and Inches” program and Kevin Trudeau’s “The Weight Loss Cure” program. Phase 1 of Dr. Simeons’ program requires the individual to binge eat for two days prior to starting the hCG diet. The purpose of this two day binge is to add fat to the storage areas in the individual’s body so that the hCG can perform properly and also to help prevent hunger and headaches that are sometimes associated with the program. Typically, the individual is either given hCG drops or injections two days prior to starting the diet. The act of binge eating for those two days helps the hCG to enter the system. Two days after receiving the hCG, the individual will begin to follow a 500 calorie diet in Phase 2.

Phase 1 of Kevin Trudeau’s diet with hCG requires the individual to go through a thirty day period of cleansing before starting the two day binge eating period. The cleansing process is designed to remove impurities and toxins from the body. It is recommended that the individuals receiving cleansing treatments only eat organic foods to help promote the effects of the cleansing. Some cleansing processes included in Trudeau’s hCG program are colonics, heavy metal cleanses, candida cleanses, liver cleanses, and parasitic cleanses. There is a list of products that the individual should avoid during the entire process available within the article “The Weight Loss Cure.” Some individuals have experienced results when they have combined elements from both versions of the hCG dieting program.

For those who are following Dr. Simeons’ program, the second phase involves starting the actual diet with the use of liquid hCG. During this phase, individuals eat only those foods that have been approved for use in the hCG diet. A list of the approved foods can be found in the “Pounds and Inches” manuscript and also on various websites. This phase lasts between twenty-six to forty days depending on how much weight the individual has lost and how long the individual wants to diet. The individual will continue taking hCG for most of this phase. Three days prior to ending the 500 calorie diet, the individual will stop taking hCG. Trudeau’s Phase 2 is similar to Dr. Simeons’ Phase 1.

The third phase of Dr. Simeons’ hCG dieting program is intended to allow the hypothalamus to reset. Dieters go into a ‘maintenance’ phase where they can eat what they want while watching their weight. The goal is to stay within two pounds of their new weight. Phase 3 of Trudeau’s version is to actually start the hCG diet using the list of approved foods from Dr. Simeons’ manuscript. These foods should be organic and hormone free. This phase also requires the individual to use hCG dieting supplements.