Are you looking to lose some weight in the coming year? If so, you’re not alone.
Around 45 million Americans go on diets each year, and Americans spend a whopping $33 million per year on weight-loss products. Trying to figure out a diet that suits your lifestyle can feel overwhelming.
From keto to low-carb to paleo, there are new diet trends coming and going every day. One diet that a lot of people have had success with is the HCG diet. What is the HCG diet? What are its benefits?
Check out this guide to learn about the benefits of the HCG diet!
What is the HCG Diet?
Before we talk about the benefits of the HCG diet, let’s first talk about how this diet works. The HCG diet involves eating a small number of calories per day (around 500) and taking HCG injections on a daily basis.
The diet was developed in 1954 by Dr. ATW Simeons. Simeons treated adolescent boys with low testosterone levels with HCG and noticed that they began to rapidly lose weight, especially around their abdominal area.
Following these observations, Simeons created what is now known as the HCG diet. The original diet plan he created was quite strict, as there were only a few types of meat dieters were allowed to eat. Nowadays, the diet is a bit more flexible, and even vegans and vegetarians can enjoy this diet.
However, the diet does still follow somewhat strict guidelines. In addition to consuming only 500 calories per day, dieters are also not allowed to consume any artificial or processed foods, sugars, or caffeine.
Instead, your diet should consist of raw, organic foods. Foods that are allowed on the HCG diet include:
- Raw nuts and seeds
- Beans and legumes
- Meat and seafood
- Fruits and veggies
- Nut butter and nut milk
You also can’t eat any grains like rice, cereal, or pasta on this diet.
The Benefits of the HCG Diet
While the HCG diet is strict, there are a lot of benefits you can reap from following this diet plan, both mentally and physically. Here are some of the main benefits of the HCG diet:
1. Weight Loss
Obviously, the primary benefit of this diet is that it can help you lose weight. When you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight.
However, most people don’t realize how many calories they’re actually consuming on a daily basis. According to assistant professor of medicine at Emory University Allen Dollar, most people overeat by about 500 to 1500 calories per day.
You need to burn an extra 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat. On the same token, if you overeat by 3500 calories, you’ll gain a pound of fat. If you’re overeating by just a few hundred calories per day, you can see how quickly the pounds can add up.
But, if you cut down your calorie consumption to just 500 calories per day, you can see how quickly the pounds can fly off! Generally speaking, most people need between 1500 to 3000 calories per day to maintain their weight. The exact number of calories you need per day to maintain your weight depends on your size, lifestyle, exercise habits, and general health.
Let’s say, for example, that you need 2000 calories per day to maintain your current weight. If you follow the HCG diet and cut it down to 500 calories per day, you’ll be burning an extra 1500 calories each day. This means that you can lose almost an entire pound in just a couple of days!
2. Clean Up Your Diet
Because you can only eat whole foods on the HCG diet, following this diet plan can be a great way for you to clean up your eating habits. On average, Americans get 11.3% of their calories from fast food.
Not only are fast food items high in calories, but they’re also loaded with sugar, salt, and fat. If you’re looking to kick fast food and junk food out of your diet, the HCG diet can help.
Once you start eating more meat, seafood, fruits, and veggies, you’ll realize just how filling and satisfying these whole foods can be. Plus, the less processed food you eat, the less you crave it. Many people stick to a whole foods diet long after they finish the HCG diet.
3. Anyone Can Do It
Another major benefit of the HCG diet is that anyone can do it. Unlike the keto diet and paleo diet, the HCG diet is vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
This diet is also very simple to follow. You don’t need to worry about tracking macros, weighing your food, or eating at exact times. All you need to do is stick to the HCG diet instructions of cutting calories and taking the injectables.
4. Burn Fat and Retain Muscle
Many people are afraid to start a new diet plan because they don’t want to lose the muscle they’ve worked hard to build in the gym. However, the HCG injections target your body’s fat, not your body’s muscles.
This means you can lose fat off your belly while still retaining muscle in other areas.
5. Increased Energy Levels
The HCG diet can also boost your energy levels. If you feel sluggish all the time, it likely has to do with your diet.
The American diet is loaded with sugar. Even if you avoid eating cookies, cake, and sweets, you’re probably eating way more sugar than you realize. Salad dressing, granola bars, potato chips, pasta sauces, ketchup- all of these foods are secret sugar culprits.
Sugar causes a temporary spike in energy, and then it makes you crash. If you’re looking to get rid of these sugar crashes and boot your energy levels, try the HCG diet.
Are You Ready to Try the HCG Diet?
As you can see, the HCG diet offers a lot of benefits. Now, it’s time for you to give the diet a try! Once you start the diet, the pounds will start flying off.
You can check back in with our blog for more dieting advice and tips!
