What You Can Eat on the HCGA Diet

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The astringent calorie count is a part of our HCG diet plan and similar HCG diets. The use of HCG drops is combined with a restricted diet to get the full benefit of weight loss. A low-calorie count changes the metabolism to burn the stored fat for the energy consumption required for daily activities. Conversely, it burns the flab and stored fat to shed extra pounds. Though the HCG diets are planned out in three phases, only certain foods are allowed during the complete 3 phased HCG diet.

The three phases of the HCG diet consists of:

• Phase 1: this is the loading phase where high fat diet is eaten and is for the first 3 days.
• Phase 2: this is the low calorie phase when the individual only consumes 500 calories a day.
• Phase 3: this is the maintenance phase, and food guidelines and restriction continue. 

 The HCG diet plan consists of a 500 calorie a day and a regular dose of HCG drops. The reason behind the 500 calories a day diet is that the HCG stimulates the metabolic rate. The body starts to assimilate and burn the stored fat, which counts to about 2000 calories a day and provides energy for everyday functioning. However, there are clear instructions about the foods that can be consumed and those that are completely restricted, ranging from organic vegetables and fruits to limited starch, no sugar, and carbohydrates. Most of the first 21 to 26 days are stringent. 

To understand the HCG diet plan in more detail, please read the information below.

Breakfast: 

Any non-caloric fluids in any amount. This could be coffee without sugar (non-sugar sweeteners are okay) and a tablespoon of milk.

Lunch and Dinner:
- You are allowed these two meals only per day. 

- Each should total around 250 calories each.

- Each meal consists of 3.5 oz (or 100 gm) of some type of protein food (see below), enough vegetables, and fruit to total 250 calories each. 

- You should record the foods you eat in a food journal and see how easy it is to keep track of your diet. 

- The number of calories in a serving of these foods is listed below. Select from the following foods:

• Protein Foods: 3.5 oz. (100 gm) per meal
  • All visible fat must be removed before cooking, and the portions should be weighed raw. An approximation of the size of a portion is the amount of the food that would resemble the size of a make-up compact or the palm of your hand. It must be cooked without additional fat. Avoid eating the same protein foods for both lunch and dinner.  
    •  Veal or ultra lean steak (free-range only). Ground beef using lean steak. 
    • Fresh white fish (halibut, swordfish, bass, flounder, pike, tilapia, john dory, snapper, crabmeat, lobster, shrimp, scallops. NO salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried, pickled or smoked fish.
    • Chicken (chicken breast only, no skin).
    • Boiled egg and 3 boiled egg whites (Adapted for vegetarians).
• Fresh Vegetables: at least 3.5 oz (100 gm) per meal                 
  • For optimum results do not mix vegetables. One choice only per serving.   
  • Spinach, green salad, tomato, celery, fennel, onion, red radish, cucumber, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, chard, chicory.
  • No starch or sugar heavy veggies, such as pumpkin, beetroot, potato, carrots, peas, or corn.
• Fruit: 2 per day, at least 6 hours apart
  • Apple, strawberries (6 lg/10 small), orange, ½ grapefruit.
  • No substitutes.
• Grain
  • One grissini, or one melba toast.
• Fluids
  • Minimum 2 liters (11 glasses, 8 oz each) of water daily. 
  • You are allow to drink the following:
    • Plain water.
    • Soda water, and  mineral water.
    • Crystal Lite.
    • Tea/coffee without sugar (any quantity).
    • 2 diet soft drinks (up to 2-12 oz. cans).
    • Only 1 tablespoon fat-free half and half or milk daily.
• Extras
  • Juice of 1 lemon daily.
  • No margarine, butter, oil, or dressing.
  • Check labels for content of sugar, fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, etc. Anything with these is NOT allowed. You may use artificial sweeteners sparingly and only for Phase 1 and 2. NO SUGAR!
  • Salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, and other spices are freely available as seasonings.

Calorie Content of the HCGA Diet Foods

There are many websites that give you calorie amounts of the foods you eat. A good website to determine calories in food is The Calorie Counter website (http://www.thecaloriecounter.com). If you can not find the calories on the web, check the package for calculations whenever possible. Always remember to record what you eat in a food journal every day. 

Here are some examples of foods that you can eat on the hCG diet and their respective calorie amounts:

• Fish
  • White Fish – (3.5 oz) avg. 98 cal.
  • Crab meat (3.5 oz) – 100 cal.
  • Haddock (3.5 oz) – 88 cal.
  • Red snapper (3.5 oz) – 110 cal.
  • Tilapia (3.5 oz) – 94 cal.
  • Cod (3.5 oz) – 83 cal.
  • Flounder (3.5 oz) – 90 cal.
  • Lobster (3.5 oz) – 98 cal.
  • Shrimp (3.5 oz) – 110 cal
• Beef
  • Very lean beef (3.5 oz) - avg. 152 cal).
  • Top sirloin steak (3.5 oz) – 130 cal.
  • Bottom round steak (3.5 oz) – 154 cal.
  • Eye of round (3.5 oz) – 160 cal.
  • Top round steak (3.5 oz) – 166 cal.
• Chicken
  • Chicken breast, no skin (3.5 oz) – 87 cal.
• Veal
  • Veal (3.5 oz) - avg. 114 cal.
  • Veal, loin chop (3.5 oz) – 117 cal.
  • Veal, sirloin (3.5 oz) – 110 cal.
• Vegetables
  • Asparagus (3.5 oz) – 20 cal.
  • Asparagus (small spear) – 2 cal.
  • Asparagus (medium spear) – 3 cal.
  • Asparagus (large spear) – 4 cal.
  • Broccoli (1 cup – 88g) – 30 cal.
  • Broccoli (3.5 oz) – 34 cal.
  • Broccoli ( 31 g) – 11 cal.
  • Celery (3.5 oz) – 15 cal.
  • Celery (medium stalk) – 6 cal.
  • Cabbage (3.5 oz) – 24 cal.
  • Cabbage (1 cup shredded) – 17 cal.
  • Cauliflower (3.5 oz) – 22 cal.
  • Cauliflower (1 cup) – 28 cal.
  • Cauliflower (3 flowerets) – 12 cal.
  • Cucumber (3.5 oz) – 12 cal.
  • Cucumber (small) – 19 cal.
  • Cucumber (medium) – 24 cal.
  • Cucumber (large) – 34 cal each.
  • Cucumber (English long) – 60 cal.
  • Lettuce, all varieties (3.5 oz) – 20 cal.
  • Lettuce, all varieties (1 cup) – 8 cal.
  • Lettuce, all varieties (small head) – 32 cal.
  • Red radishes (3.5 oz) – 12 cal.
  • Red radishes (one medium) – 1 cal.
  • Salad (3.5 oz) – 15 cal.
  • Spinach, raw (3.5 oz) – 20 cal.
  • Spinach, raw (1 cup) – 7 cal.
  • Spinach, frozen (3.5 oz) – 23 cal.
  • Spinach, frozen (1 cup) – 41 cal.
  • Spinach, cooked (3.5 oz) – 31 cal.
  • Spinach, cooked (1 cup) – 48 cal.
  • Tomato (3.5 oz) – 20 cal.
  • Tomato (cherry) – 3 cal.
  • Tomato (plumb) – 11 cal.
  • Tomato (small) – 16 cal.
  • Tomato (medium) – 22 cal.
  • Tomato (large) – 33 cal.
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• Fruit
  • Apple (small) – 55 cal.
  • Apple (medium) – 72 cal.
  • Apple (large) – 110 cal.
  • Orange (navel) – 69 cal.
  • Orange (Florida) – 65 cal.
  • Orange (California) – 59 cal.
  • 12 large strawberries – 72 cal.
  • 20 medium strawberries – 80 cal.
  • Pink Grapefruit (California) – 92 cal.
  • Pink Grapefruit (Florida) – 74 cal.
• Grain
  • One breadstick (grissini) – 15 cal.
  • One Melba toast – 12 cal.